The Sulfur Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa
by RestInChaos
Summary: Time has passed since the loss of the Elric brothers, and Riley's trying hard to make sure she doesn't lose control of her life as well. Meanwhile, Ed may have found his brother's counterpart in Germany, but he won't be satisfied until he also finds Riley's. Sequel. Ed/OC.
1. Eins

Yus! It's time for the sequel to TSA! I can't believe I've gotten this far. It is January Fourth, 2012 – the fourth year anniversary of The Sulfur Alchemist. Appropriate time to end and start it, don't you think?

As you'll see, this chapter is all about Ed and it seems like third person. Well, it kind of is. The next chapter, which will involve Riley, will be in first. I just couldn't break away from TSA tradition, but maybe this style will add to it.

In other news, I hope your holidays went well! Mine definitely did.

First Disclaimer of the Story; FullMetal Alchemist, and the Conqueror of Shamballa, are not mine! (And the chapter title isn't either [Insert Dragon Age Nerd Face Here.])

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><p><strong>Chapter One:<strong>_  
>Questioning Beliefs<em>

_I love you_…_ Don't forget that._

Amber eyes came to a slow open, and was greeted with a dark room, void of sound and movement. It almost felt like time stood still as he stared up at what he knew was the ceiling. His covers had fallen to the floor throughout the night and his pillow was crooked, but he paid both facts no mind. Looking to the window near him, his chest rose and fell at the small sigh he gave. How long had it been? Two years? A bitter smile tugged at his lips; two years and he still remembered every detail of the time he'd traveled with his brother, and her of course.

Coming out of his reverie, he slipped the pocket watch off his end table and angled it so that what was left of the moonlight would shine on the glass. His eyes caught glimpse of the time and he snapped the watch to a close, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed to sit up. He could feel his blond hair cascade around him as he did so. Standing from the bed, he began to change in fast pace, knowing he was already off his schedule for the day.

Making his way out of the small home, he looked left and right before finding his place on the sidewalk. His gloved hands slipped into his long coat pockets as he walked by the few people who were out at this hour. Some were drunkards, most were business men. His shoulders were not quite as relaxed as any of theirs – it may have been two years, but he still wasn't used to being off guard. Amestris was not a place to be off guard, and that had been ingrained into his mind.

After a few minutes of solace, he reached a particular building and slowed in his pace. The building was a small one, and one of the only ones still doing business. An open sign hung against one of the large windows, and he could see the smoke and customers inside, drinking away their fears, depressions, furies. Anything and everything they wanted to forget.

It wasn't what was inside that caught his attention, but what sat right outside the building. A long bench was placed by the door, and one figure sat on it with his elbows resting on his knees. A black jacket covered his face, but Edward knew it was him. With no words spoken, he sat down beside the person and looked around at the people. The two sat together for a moment and as Edward was beginning to get impatient, the person sat straighter and slipped off his jacket's hood.

The familiar face behind it was not a surprise to him – the blond hair, the blue eyes, the lean figure. _I didn't tell you all this so you could create the stone._ The words rang in Edward's ears every time he saw the Tringham boy since. Said boy turned his head to look at the shorter blond, and gave him an exasperated sigh. "It's the same result as last week's, Ed," He remarked with a tired tone. The dark circles under his eyes were further evidence of his exhaustion, but Edward did not care.

Leaning forward to rest on his own knees, Edward shook his head. "You're not looking hard enough," Was his sharp response.

"I've been working my ass off for the past year trying to find this girl!" Russel snapped as he leaned forward as well. Running a hand through his hair, he hesitated on his next comment. It would not go over well, this he already knew. "Just give up, Ed. Whoever this Riley is – she either doesn't exist or she's long gone."

He almost flinched at the glare Edward sent him. "She isn't," He growled, "She's here, I know she is. She has to be."

"…This girl really means so much?" Russel murmured under his breath. There was no pause from Edward as he nodded, and Russel gave another long sigh. Leaning back against the bench, he relaxed his limbs as he pressed the back of his head against the glass window of the bar. "Alright, Ed. I'll keep looking," He said with a softer tone. Lifting his hood back up over his head as he stood, he stopped to leaned down toward Edward and pointed a finger at him. "But if I find evidence that this girl really doesn't exist, promise me you'll stop with this."

Once more, there was no hesitation. Edward shook his head, hands clasped tightly together. "She's out there, Russel, and I'm not stopping until I find her."

A second of silence passed. Shaking his head, Russel stood straight and began to walk off, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Stubborn midget…" Had Edward been paying attention, he would've snapped. His mind, however, was elsewhere. He wasn't sure how long he sat there, but Russel was gone, the bar was closing, and the moon was just over the horizon. People walked by him with little attention to him; if any attention was there, it was only for curiosity's sake. But Edward did not notice.

_Whoever this Riley is – she either doesn't exist or she's long gone._ Edward felt a little sick to his stomach at both possibilities. She had to be alive on the other side, and that meant there had to be someone there in his world matching her. Unless…

No.

He shook his head, almost violently, when it crossed his mind. She was alive. She was. She could take care of herself, that much was certain. She was alive.

She had to be.

Another few seconds passed as Edward tried to convince himself. But he forced himself to a stand, and he began to walk. The area still maintained a peaceful quiet, even as the amount of people awake started to grow. A breeze blew by, much to Edward's pleasure, lifting his braid and coat just enough to sway. Looking around him, he navigated as best he could. Two years, and he still wasn't completely used to it. Maybe he could have been, if he wanted to be. Maybe he was just hoping he'd still wake up and everything would be how it used to be. Sometimes he wondered if his life in Amestris was the actual dream.

But it wasn't. He knew it wasn't. Alphonse, Hannah, the people he saved, _her_… He almost felt guilty. He loved his brother, he would – and did – give his life for his brother. But _she_ was the real reason he knew it all wasn't just a dream. Sometimes he could still smell her or feel her there. The last moments he had with her were too _real_ for it not to be. Edward rubbed his forehead as he gave a small chuckle. He sounded so lovesick. She would've given him hell for that if she knew.

A car began to drive by and when he noticed who was in it, Edward stepped toward the road, waving his arms into the air. "Oh, wait!" The car, having already slowed, came to a stop near the sidewalk a few feet behind him. Racing back to the car, he could see the window rolling down for him. Once he reached it, he placed his arms in the window before bending down to peer in. "Maes!"

Edward grinned at the man in the driver's seat, the face familiar and comforting to see. Smiling in return, Maes tipped his hat to the boy. "Hey, Ed! You sure are up early," He mentioned, raising a brow as he nodded to the still slightly empty street.

Nodding as well, Edward shrugged his shoulders a little. "I had some business this morning."

His response, however vague and simple it was, was enough for Maes. The man gave him a knowing look behind the glasses. "Still looking, huh?" He asked. At Edward's nod, he sighed as he looked to the street ahead of him. "I'll try to keep an eye out, alright?"

Maes was probably the only one who understood to some degree. The others helped if he convinced them, or told him it was pointless, but not Maes. Maes knew. The situation itself may not have been familiar to him, but the concept of caring for someone enough did. Edward's expression became a thankful one. "I appreciate that," He mumbled with a subtle frown.

Giving a dramatic shrug, Maes pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose before glancing to Edward with a small smirk. "You'll find her, Ed. Women have this way about them. They always show when you least expect it," He commented. Edward nodded as he stepped away from the car to let him leave. The two waved to one another before Maes drove away.

It wasn't until the sun began to shine, that Edward reached his home. The sounds of the city were at work as he opened the door, and was greeted by the smell of coffee and fresh bread. The house wasn't large, but it suited him. He didn't need much.

The blond sitting at the dining table didn't look back when he heard Edward walk in. He continued to scribble in his notepad, instead. "I was wondering when you'd get back," He said, his voice muffled and somewhat monotone. Edward was quiet as he slipped his coat off. Finally, the boy looked over his shoulder, a slice of bread hanging in his mouth. Placing his pencil behind his ear, he took the bread out of his mouth as he leaned back. "Where were you?"

His tone did not go unnoticed. Edward sighed, refusing to look at his brother look-alike; he knew the boy disapproved of his early morning trips. He knew the boy disapproved of him spending so much effort on looking for her. It was a discussion they'd had many times. "Let's not get into it, Alfons."

Alfons gained a small pout as he watched Edward walk to the kitchen to retrieve a cup of coffee. Standing, he followed the older boy. "You're looking for her again, aren't you?" He asked, standing in the doorway with his hands in his pockets. Edward continued to ignore him, causing him to narrow his eyes, "Did you ever even stop looking, Ed?" More silence passed, and Alfons shook his head, "Stop ignoring me!"

The sound of a mug contacting with the counter echoed in the kitchen. "…Fine. I never stopped," Edward muttered, not turning to face him.

Sighing, Alfons leaned against the doorway. "You know it's pointless, don't you?" He asked. He noticed Edward look back at him, and so he continued, "You're following a dream, Ed!"

"She isn't a dream!" Ed yelled, stepping toward Alfons angrily. He wanted to hold his tongue, knowing where his temper could take him, but the comments were grading on his nerves. He'd heard them too many times. Worst of it all, they were _getting_ to him. He wondered if it was all a dream, if he was wasting his time. Alfons was getting to him, and that bothered him more than any of it.

Alfons stepped back, but continued the argument. "And what if she isn't?" He asked, his soft voice now loud and irritated. "Would she even know you? What will you tell her, Ed? She may not even care!"

There was silence after his remark.

Edward stepped back, fists clenched. He wanted to keep yelling – to tell Alfons he was wrong. But he knew he wasn't. "…It doesn't matter," He muttered, shaking his head. Alfons blinked in surprise at the sudden change of tone. Edward looked down, frowning at the tiled floor. "I… Need to know she's okay," He said as he walked past Alfons.

Alfons watched him walk upstairs, and sighed. He stood there a few moments in thought. He had only seen Edward like this for her. '_She better be worth it,_' He told himself, rubbing the back of his neck as he sat back down at the table to continue his work.

Upstairs, Edward entered his room, shutting the door behind him. His expression was an almost permanent scowl as he kicked off his boots and plopped himself onto the edge of the bed. Elbows on his knees, he ran a hand down his face. He tried to forget the argument that had just taken place, but he couldn't. The words were said, the damage already done. Two years, and he never considered the possibility of her not caring. _Two years_, and it took his brother's counterpart to put it in his head. Did it really not matter? No, maybe it didn't. But it would still hurt.

"_Ed!"_

_Amber eyes came to a slow open, and was greeted with a pitch black room. There were no windows, no light. He frowned, turning his head to try and catch a glimpse of anything. A flash of white shot out of view – around a corner, perhaps? He inched up, his body screaming at every moment. Why was he so sore? "Wait!" His exclamation wound up coming out as a hoarse whisper, and suddenly, his mouth was dry._

_Feet hit the ground and he felt the cold floor underneath him. On_… _Both feet? Looking down, he lifted his left foot in confusion. It was real? Looking back to where he saw the light, he moved toward it. He stumbled, catching himself on what felt like a doorway. Grasping hold of the side, he used it to help him walk into the hallway. The black was now a dark gray, allowing him to see a familiar layout; he just couldn't place it yet. Down the hallway, he saw a figure walking further away from him. "W-Wait_…_," He whispered, reaching out toward them._

_It began to disappear into the floor below, and he realized they were walking down a set of stairs. He tried to run to it, but only stumbled. His legs would not let him go any faster. Using the walls for support, he approached the stairs and walked down them with furrowed brows. It all seemed so familiar. But how?_

_Once he reached the floor, he looked around him to see everything had lightened to a light gray. Faintly, he could begin to make out certain details where a window and door were. No furniture, no decorations, no people. Just the structure of the home. He started turning around, looking at the room as he tried recognizing it. He faced the door just in time to see it close. Walking toward it, he placed his hand on the knob and turned it. With ease, the door swayed to an open._

_The outside was white; so much so, he shielded his eyes from the sudden brightness. Stepping outside, he pulled the door to a close and gazed around him. He could make out a small porch, and a set of stairs, and land. But almost no details. He guided himself down the stairs with patience and care, trying to make something out of the confusion. And then he saw the figure, standing a few feet away from him. "H-Hey_…_," He coughed a little a the weakness of his voice._

_His feet began to drag across the unpaved road. Unpaved? He looked down at the ground as he walked, and saw the colored rocks below him, healthy green grass included. His head snapped up and he could make out the blue sky, with clouds rolling by him. And the figure. The figure was now in front of him, their back turned and face hidden from his view. "Hey, where are we?" Edward asked, pacing himself to not run out of breath again. The figure turned slowly, and breath caught in Edward's throat._

"…_Riley?"_

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><p>If you guys want to keep up with my writing progress for <em>any<em> of my stories, go to my Tumblr where I will tell you guys everything about it. (My Tumblr; _MiladyChaos_. - just add the tumblr address after it.)

Don't Flame and Drive. **Be Responsible**! _Rawr_.


	2. Two

Nnnnnb b nb nnnnnnnnnnbbbb bbnnnnnnnn

And that's the sound my forehead against my keyboard makes, children!

Those following my writing Tumblr are aware I've been on Hiatus (_And for those not following, Y U NO FOLLOW?_) Life was getting a little stressful what with other hobbies, higher priorities, and a complicated social life. Writing had gone from highest priority to the bottom of the list and I had to put it aside for a while. I always tell myself to write because I enjoy it - because I want to - but for a while there, I was forgetting that. I needed to align my focus and… Recharge myself, I guess.

Of course, with my luck, I get rope burn on my finger just as I started getting back into my writing and was physically unable to type. I had to take a healing break and it's still healing now - that's not helping this come out any sooner.

Oh, and by the way: Thriving Ivory is amazing motivation for me to write. Seriously, I wrote about seventy percent of this with_ Some Kind of Home playing on an infinite loop._

**The First of the Lovely Daaaarlings!**

**CloudEnvyKunoichi:** Thank you! It is sad to see it end, having been with it for four years now. But there's still more of Riley, hah! Oh, and you stole the sequel's review virginity. _You should be proud._

**Haganeochibi:** From the very beginning, I adored the idea of Maes being as understanding as he is in the story, so I'm glad someone mentioned that. xD It's definitely an angsty start and I'll be honest with you, this one is only a _tiny_ bit lighter, if even that. But no worries! I plan on balancing the genres and emotions of the story to the best of my abilities. I want this to have the same kind of humor as the first story, but it's going to have a darker side to it as well due to all that's happened. Thank you!

**Hauarie:** Doesn't it, though? It felt odd writing just about Ed. But as far as the confusion goes, I _strongly_ suggest you watch Conqueror of Shamballa if you haven't yet – that will clear up a lot of confusion. As far as a quick explanation goes; when Ed died, he went over to the gate. The gate has 'clones' or 'doubles' of every person. When Ed died, his clone died and allowed him to cross over. Now, Ed remembered his past life, but that's not entirely common. For instance, Maes died and crossed over, but he doesn't remember his past life. And Al doesn't remember her because it's not the same Al, it's his clone! It's confusing to explain in a summary, but that's the jist of it.

**Mizunou:** Haha, emo Ed. Yes! Another person who mentions Maes' involvement, that makes me happy. x3 Unfortunately enough, I will be following the movie storyline, and Rose will be involved later on. I didn't care for her much, but we'll see how it goes.

**Mercedes Wolfcry:** Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!

**Hyourin-kusabana:** And I'm so thankful for that- asdhjkl… Glad you like it! I hope the rest of the story is as entertaining.

**AnimeVamp1997:** OF COURSE I DID, YOU PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ME WELL ENOUGH BY NOW. Haha, yes, my version of Ed is a bit of a romantic at heart, even if he is a nervous wreck about it. xD This wasn't soon, but it was twice as long, so I hope that helps!

**BVBArmy:** Thank you! I appreciate it! 8D

**Mushra the enterran:** Two days? Oh my. Lawl, if I can make my readers look foolish in front of their loves ones, I know I'm doing my job. Thank you! Write what you love because you love it – stick to that and you'll have whatever drive it may take. And for the chibi thing, I'm not entirely sure. The OVA was very entertaining, but it's something I honestly haven't considered yet!

**IceFire Dragon Alchemist73:** Oh don't worry, he's far too stubborn to give up on anything. xD

**katsekala:** Indeed he is! Riley _would_ have given him hell for it, too.

**Overlord Prince:** Sooner than he thinks, that's for sure. Thank you for reading!

**Rockerchic221:** Oh God, I love it. I love making people cry. I'm not sure why I do, I just do. Thank you so much. .w. Ohoho, I'm a Writing Goddess now! (Flips Collar.)

**Gummy'Fish'Lover:** Thank you! I'm feeling the same sort of mixed emotions, and I'm sure I'll just get worse when this sequel comes to an end.

**Tabzthedemon:** Lawl, I love doing that. So much so, I don't even realize it anymore. It just happens. (Oh, and thank you for the review on the first story! It was amazing- asdfghjkl.)

**Want to Be a Lovely Daaaarling? Review!**

Conqueror of Shamballa is not mine. Well, I own a DVD copy, but that's about all I can claim. Why is it everyone automatically thinks I pirated the movie when I tell them I have it on DVD? I bought it off Amazon, gaiz. Now where was I? Oh yeah. Riley, Hannah and the Mauler Dojo all belong to me in their entirety and you may not use them unless I give you written and signed consent. Yes, I'm going all legal on you in this disclaimer.

Oh, and Arcane Vaudeville.

_Just wanted to say it._

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><p><strong>Chapter Two:<br>**_It Strikes Like a Bat._

"_Nothing I could give would have been worth that_…_"_

"Riley."

I blinked, the voice pulling me back to reality, and I turned to face the person who called me.

The bright light behind him both shadowed and illuminated Daisuke. He maintained a growing height, while his features narrowed over the past two years. His skin had tanned lightly and his black hair had reached his shoulders. He kept it in a low ponytail, unconcerned with shortening it. He looked eerily similar to my father in the Dojo's garments. I hated it, but I couldn't deny that I grew accustomed to seeing him on a daily basis.

With a small sigh, I ran a hand through my hair as I looked back toward the desk I'd been staring at. It was supposed to be the desk of the Rebellion's head, but Gregory had been using it until I was to take over. Gregory decided that time was near, but I wasn't so sure. Whether it was self-doubt or lack of care, I didn't know. "What is it?" I finally asked, glancing over the paperwork spread atop the desk. Paperwork I was in charge of.

Daisuke stepped toward in slow strides, worry etched into his features. It was an expression he wore often. "Your guest is here… He's waiting in the common room," He replied once he reached me.

I nodded. "Good. I'm ready for this meeting to be over," I muttered under my breath as I grabbed a folder from the desk. It was almost empty, save for two pages. Both were scribbled onto, but I didn't care about the appearance. The results were the only thing that was important to them, so that was my only priority.

The half-assed attitude would have sickened me two years ago, and this bitter fact didn't lose itself on me. I turned to leave the office, but stopped when Daisuke placed a hand on my arm. He said nothing at first, and I looked up to figure out his intentions. He frowned down at me, with both thin lips and green eyes. "How are you feeling?"

Ah. So that's what it was about.

"Same as when you asked me yesterday and the day before and the day before that, Daisuke," I answered, frowning as well, "Why do you keep asking me that?"

There was silence as he lifted his head back to its regular position, furrowed brows ceasing. His hand fell off my arm as he gave a subtle shake of his head. "I… Nothing, no reason. Just… Just making sure," He stuttered out, stepping away from me.

"…" Nodding, I looked away from him. Stepping around Daisuke, I left the office without anymore words shared between us.

My footsteps were quiet along the porch that lined the dojo, which was cooled under the roof's shade. A light breeze blew through, casting a nice feel along my tanning skin and through my hair. I wasn't sure when it was last cut, but the ends brushed against my chest and upper back. Bangs were no longer that – now to my chin. All of us at the dojo seemed to 'let ourselves go,' as others would put it.

"Ow, you stepped on my foot!"

"Maybe if you didn't have such gargantuan feet, you wouldn't have this problem."

"Well excuse_ me_ for causing such trouble!" I sighed upon hearing Louis' monotone voice and Farin's loud one in the yard. Always starting an argument with each other. They were at each other's throats the second they showed up at the dojo, Louis beaten and bruised and Farin laughing at the sight of him. Farin's intense glare didn't phase anyone and for a moment there, I could see Ed and I in the two of them.

Standing in front of the common room, I placed a hand on the edge of the door and pushed it open. Right away, I spotted a familiar man standing by the window, looking out it. I stepped inside and made my way toward him, joining him by the window. A group of students stood in the yard, sparring with one another. Gregory watched them from the corner as Jacob instructed them. Both men had changed over time. Gregory was thinner, his cheeks more sunken in and his hair graying. His deep-set eyes were just as intense as always, though. That was what scared the students. Jacob had kept to his average height, if only a few inches taller, and somehow stayed paler than the rest of us. He was still bald, though more muscle lined his arms. An experienced look was in his eye. I was never sure where it came from, but it was there.

"Your students seem to be learning quickly."

I glanced to the man from the corner of my eye, and nodded. He watched out the window with a mug of tea in one of his hands. The top half of his uniform was hidden by a tan, zipped up jacket. Regardless, I knew the uniform all too well. Light from the sun shone through, illuminating the room we were in. With a small nod in acknowledgment to his words, I held the folder up for him to take. "They're more susceptible to lessons when there's no stress of war," I commented, "I suppose you can thank the Furher for that."

He rubbed the back of his neck with a nod. Two years, and he was still on edge about the military's past. I was, too, though. Maybe that was why I came back to the dojo instead of staying. "His first priority has been to fix Bradley's mess," He replied as he opened the folder. "It's not easy. How's the dojo been going?"

Looking back out the window, I sighed. "As good as it's going to go. Gregory thinks it's time I take over…"

"Maybe it is," He replied with a shrug, "You're more capable than you think."

I sighed once more as he patted me on the shoulder. With one last look in my direction, he turned and walked toward the door. Just before he reached it, I spoke. "Jean." I heard his footsteps stop, but I didn't look back at him. "How is he?"

There was a small pause of silence, before he asked, "What?"

Turning, I looked over my shoulder to the blond officer. "I know you've seen him recently, Jean," I shook my head, "How is he?"

We looked at one another for a while. He realized what I meant quickly and sighed. It was something I asked every visit. And every visit, we argued over it until he gave in. This time, I could see him give up before it started. He knew he'd lose, so he decided not to continue any longer. With a long sigh, his shoulders dropped. "He's the same as the last time you asked. Refuses to use alchemy or come back to headquarters." Looking away, he slipped his hands in his pockets as he frowned. "He's not doing so good, Riley."

I turned my gaze back to the window, processing the new information. "He asks about you too, you know." I looked up to him, brows furrowing, and he nodded to me. There was a small frown on his face as he turned back to the door. "I think the answer he gets is almost as hard on him as the cold," He said before leaving.

"_Way to make me feel guilty, Havoc,_" I thought to myself with a scowl. I could hear the door shut behind him as he left. So, I left as well. Heading across the porch, I made my way to the back of the dojo.

I didn't know how long it had been since I last saw Roy Mustang. I didn't even remember if I saw him after Ed died. A part of me wished I'd seen him again. A part of me wished I visited him after I heard he was home and bed-bound after killing Bradley. Pride. I didn't visit anyone, though. Not after what happened – I left back to Dublith immediately and didn't look back. A coward's move, maybe, but I didn't care.

"I take it there were no problems?"

Glancing over, I saw Gregory at my side, hands clasped behind his back. "None," I replied as I looked to the yard. From that point, I could see half of the arena in the back. A tornado came through a month before, and the arena required some repairs. It was why students were sparring in the front of the dojo, not the back.

From beside me, I spotted Gregory nod. "Good," He began, "It's best things run smoothly as possible while we transition you into my place." Falling quiet, I frowned as I turned away, opening the door beside me. His brows furrowed down at me in minor concern. "Riley?"

"I didn't want this transition, anyway," I muttered before walking in. The room was small, with a desk in the corner, a dresser beside it and a bed in the opposite corner. It was all I needed. Once inside, I shut the door behind me and plopped myself onto the desk chair, resting my head on my crossed arms. From behind me, I heard the door open and close. Gregory gave a long, exhausted sigh as he asked, "Is there something wrong, Riley?"

Scowling, I moved upward and looked to him from over my shoulder. I was tired, and I was sick of everyone thinking I was so eager to take over. It was, quite frankly, the last thing I wanted. All those people, looking to me? No. "Weren't you supposed to kick the bucket by now, old man?" I asked, leaning back in my chair to show the minor irritation on my face.

With the shake of his head, Gregory walked around the room, "I'm not going anywhere until I know you can take care of this place." He picked up a page from my desk, checking it over. "Paperwork is not the only skill required to run a dojo."

I snatched the paper out of his hands as I frowned up at him, "I'm aware of that." I shoved what papers were there into the drawer of my desk. "They wouldn't even want me running the place anyway," I muttered under my breath.

Gregory looked down at me. "What was that?" He asked, his face and tone blank.

Sighing, I rested my arms on the desk as I looked down at my hands. "My parents wouldn't want me running the Rebellion," I replied louder, before scowling, "Tch, it's not even a Rebellion anymore, it's a glorified dojo."

"Stop while you're ahead, Riley," Was his quick response.

I rolled my eyes as I leaned back to glare up at him. "Well that's rich, coming from you!" I shook my head as I stood from the chair, "You're the last of the generation, Gregory. _You_ should have stopped while you were ahead, now you're just trying to salvage a dead pride."

Gregory stepped toward me, oddly quiet. "There's a difference between being stuck in the past and trying to move on from it. You may not be familiar with that – moping about the dojo and losing what little focus you had." He glared, pointing down at me. "The boy is _dead_, Riley, he isn't coming back. The same way your parents and the honor of the Rebellion won't be coming back. At least I'm trying to rebuild instead of wallowing in self-destruction." I said nothing, looking away as he walked back toward the door. "I'll watch over the dojo for today. In the meantime, you need to finally get your head together."

He left, slamming the door behind him, and I was left to my solace.

A loud thud and crash sounded outside my door, followed by Gregory yelling, "Damn it, how many times do I have to tell you not to run around this place? You've broken enough this month!" I fell onto my bed, frowning at the wall. As much as I hated to admit it, Gregory was completely in the right. About me, not the running thing. Well, he was right about that too, but that wasn't the point.

He _was_ though– Ed was gone. He wasn't coming back and no amount of depression would change it. Nothing would. I thought returning to a constant position in the military would lift my mood, but I knew I couldn't, not at that moment. The dojo was looking to me since Gregory would be stepping down. I couldn't leave, no matter how much I desperately wanted to. It seemed like every day, my mood was more and more because of my place at the dojo, and less because of Ed. Maybe I _had_ moved on, moved on as much as I could anyway, and I didn't realize it. Maybe I just needed to get away. I remembered the words Jacob had said to me two years ago - "_You wanted out of here more than anything._" Maybe he was still right.

I rubbed the back of my neck in the same exhaustion Gregory displayed with me – this was not responsibility I wanted to take on.

. . .

The sun was beginning to come to a set, though it was even hotter than the afternoon that just passed them by. Students practiced in the cooled dojo and, even so, discarded the top of their white Gi for lighter shirts, or none at all. It was a relatively quiet day for the Rebellion, with Gregory in his office, and Jacob and Daisuke training. Shiori sat at the sidelines, fixing a rice paper door she'd busted through earlier that day. She was probably the one that changed the most out of us all – having gone through a growth spurt when she hit eleven years of age. She was twelve now; and while her skin stayed an olive tone, her hair, now cut to a little above her chin, was darkening. Mostly in her mother's part, Gregory mentioned.

Everything was going as usual, when I slid the door open with more force than necessary. Shiori let out a yelp, pulling her hand back just in time to miss the oncoming assault, and she glared up at me. The rest of the students turned their attention to me as well, but I maintained my posture as much I could. "I have some news, everyone," I said with a simple tone.

"What's going on?" Jacob asked, crossing his arms as he looked toward me. He rose a brow, and I could almost see a glimmer of hope in his eyes. About what, I wasn't aware.

Clearing my throat, I placed my hands behind my back. "I'm leaving the dojo for a while," I began, ignoring the small sounds of surprise from some of them, "I'll be visiting old friends and clearing my head for the responsibilities that will be waiting for me here." There was a quick moment of silence before I exclaimed, "Shiori!"

Out of the side of my eye, I caught the girl jumping at my voice before standing straight. "Yes!" She yelped out in response, her voice meek.

"You're coming with me," I added in a matter-of-fact tone, "You need the experience of the outside world or you'll shrivel up and die a hermit like your uncle."

When I heard the clearing of a throat behind me, I ignored it as I continued keeping my eyes on the students. "Shrivel up and die, will I?" Gregory muttered out, frowning down at me. I didn't have to look back to know he was glaring - I could feel it.

From the back of the room, I could see Daisuke step forward, the always worried look still in his eye. "Maybe… I should come with you," He commented, his voice slow and unsure of the situation. I looked to him, narrowing my eyes with minor suspicion. He had been acting like this for a while now, and I wasn't sure what caused it. I wasn't frail, and I didn't appreciate being treated like it.

Shaking my head, I replied with, "You need to stay here for the dojo."

"The dojo doesn't need two medics," Daisuke protested, "There's not a war going on. Moa can take of everyone here herself. Someone needs to be there for you and Shiori!" While some students had left upon feeling the tension rising, others stayed where they were, their curiosity overwhelming. Not only was Daisuke displaying his backbone, it was to _a girl_. The whole 'About to Lead the Rebellion' could have also been cause for surprise, but my money was on the _girl_ thing.

I opened my mouth to respond, but fell quiet when my head began to pound. The room started spinning, and I grimaced, holding the side of my head. Daisuke frowned, stepping forward once more. "What is it, what's wrong?" He questioned, watching my moves closely.

Once more, I wanted to speak, but another rush of dizziness overcame me before I couldn't take it any longer. Jacob caught onto this, jumping away from the wall to make it over to me in time. "Riley!" My eyes closed as I felt myself falling toward the ground. Gregory and Jacob catching me were the last things I remembered.

_Opening my eyes, I found myself in a small bed. It was uncomfortable, at best, but it felt familiar in an odd way. Like I had been in it before. The ceiling above me was plain, or so I guessed. I could barely see through the blackness of the room. Pushing myself to a sitting position, I tried to remember what happened. Where I was, how I got there - it was all lost on me. But I couldn't shake the familiarity, and that calmed me. In some weird way, it calmed me. Looking around, I stepped onto the cold wood floor and came to a stand before guiding myself around the room. My hands nudged against picture frames on the wall, but I could see none of them. Finally, my hand reached a round metallic. A knob, perhaps?_

_Twisting it, I pushed it to an open and was greeted with a dark gray hall. I placed my hand on the edges of the doorway and stepped out, looking back and forth to catch any details. Even if it was a little lighter, it was still hard to make out. I reached out my arms and my hands were met with the wall opposite me, and another picture frame. Leaning toward it, I tried to squint and make out the photo, but to no avail. I stepped back with a defeated sigh._

"You've been helping us more than anyone_."_

"But what if I wasn't_?"_

_My eyes widened as I suddenly realized where I was. It couldn't be_…_ Looking around, I knew I had to continue through the house to find my answer. I turned to my left and began walking, guiding myself along at a slow, cautious pace. Just as I expected, stairs weren't far away._

_Once my feet hit the bottom, I could see the area around me as a light gray. I could just barely make out furniture and photos, but all of the people in them were blurred. Had I really forgotten their faces so easily? With a scowl, I headed straight for the door. I wanted out._

_Swinging the door open, I felt wind blow through my hair as white light almost blinded me. I raised my hand over my eyes and stepped out onto the porch, surrounding myself in nothing but white. No details, no sounds, no smells. Nothing but white. The feeling of stairs came in contact with my feet and I walked down them. At the bottom, I felt a rocky path. I looked down and, suddenly, the light was gone. In place of it, was the brown and green path. Looking back up, probably too fast due to the sharp pain in my neck, I could see the blue sky and the green trees and the colors of the town in the distance._

_Resembool. I was in Resembool._

_I walked forward with caution, a small spark igniting in the pit of my stomach. It looked just as it did last time I was there, and I loved it. "Hey, where are we?" The first sound I heard while in this place made me jump, and I spun around on the heels of my feet. My eyes widened at the sight before me. _

_In front of the large yellow house I remembered as the Rockbell residence, was Edward Elric._

Slowly but surely, I began to regain consciousness. I grimaced, my eyes too heavy to open and my head throbbing too much to lift. The bed I was in was soft and I knew I was back in my dojo bedroom. What time it was, I could only guess by the crickets chirping outside. I wanted to move, feeling trapped enough as I remembered the dream I'd just had. It was too… Real.

I could hear Daisuke's voice break what silence was hanging in the air, his voice muffled by my bedroom door. "Will she be alright?"

At first, I thought it was Moa he was speaking with. It made sense. But instead, I heard Gregory's voice. "She's fine. She just needs some rest," Was his gruff response.

"Don't give me that!" Daisuke yelled, and I would have jumped had I any energy to. "You said she was fine when Ed died, too. She hasn't moved on, she's a total wreck! And now she's fainting? Something is wrong!" I almost scowled at that. Good to know the dojo thought I was so pathetic when I was trying to take over.

There were more footsteps and I could tell by the heaviness that it was Gregory. "You have a family waiting for you back home, boy. She's lost the last of hers. Don't speak of what you don't understand," He growled out, his voice followed by more footsteps. I felt flattered at the defense, but I knew it wasn't needed. I _was_ a wreck, and Daisuke had every right to say it.

"Then don't tell me she's fine when she clearly isn't," Daisuke snapped before storming away. Gregory continued to stand there, I assumed when there were no other footsteps echoing into my room. My head throbbed with pain and I grimaced, turning my head to its side. I didn't want to think. About Ed, or the dojo, or anything. I just wanted to fade away. And knowing that the dojo was depending on someone like that…

I began to pass out again, and I almost welcomed the darkness.

_And there I was. Again. He was still there, much to my dismay. Nothing had changed. Nothing but us. "_…_Ed?" I whispered out, my hands shaking._

_He looked just as shocked as me. Hell, maybe even more. "R-Riley," He murmured out. His hair was a little a longer, a little dustier looking, and in a ponytail. Same complexion, same bright eyes. He was a little taller, and I would have made a scene about it in any other situation._

_I stepped back when I saw him try to come closer. He winced a little, frowning, and I felt guilt rising up. "I_…_," Shaking my head, I could only mumble, "This isn't real."_

_Ed gave a small, bitter chuckle, eyes turning downward. "I should be saying the same about you," He muttered, fists clenching at his side. "It'd be just my luck that this is all fake." Finally, he looked up at me. "But what if it isn't?" I paused, and that was enough to give him the motivation to continue. "What if we're both real?"_

"_No," I shook my head, "This is just a dream, I-"_

_Shaking his head, Ed tried to step toward me again. I only stepped back, and he tensed a little. "…Look, Riley. I'm on the other side of the gate. What if-"_

"_No!" I yelled, shaking my head. He did so, blinking in surprise at my outburst. "Just stop! Do you have any idea how hard I tried to move on? I don't want to hear about it!" The look on his face made me want to break down. I had _never_ seen that look. It was defeat and hopelessness. And fear._

"_Riley_…," _He murmured out, stepping toward me. Every bone in my body told me to back away, but I wouldn't let myself do it – not again. The closer he came, the more I wanted to run. But I didn't. I wouldn't. He could sense this, and he wasn't going to give me the chance to change my mind. "Tell me I'm not real, Riley, but does that change the fact we're both here?" I looked up at him and realized he was right – did it change anything? No, it wouldn't. Whether he was real or not, I was going to remember this when I woke. I was going to wish I never did wake from it and I was going to struggle to get over the new hurdle. Real or not, the outcome was going to be the exact same. But I needed to know._

_Lifting my hand, I reached toward him, my hand trembling, probably due to both exhaustion and emotional drain. He stood there, expecting – waiting – for my touch to come. But it never did. I frowned as my hand went through his chest, and I looked up at him to send him this message. Yet there was a moment when I looked him in the eye and I_…

_He felt real. Maybe not physically real, but_… _An intangible real. The kind of real that you just know is there._

"_Sorry," He mumbled, trying to grasp at my hand, unaware of my thoughts._

_Nothing was said at first as I lowered my arm. "_…_Don't be." What could I have said? This wasn't a common situation to be in. We were both real, both there. I could feel it. But, at the same time, neither of us were there. I wanted to touch him, to really feel him there with me. Yet I couldn't. Whether it was me or him, there was separation there, and it felt worse than leaving him behind in that mansion._

_This was completely out of our control, but wasn't it always that way? As I said, nothing had changed. Nothing but us._

_Just like old times, really._

* * *

><p>People are in my house.<p>

They're uprooting the carpet and I'm stuck in my bedroom without a bra on. And there's no longer a door in my bedroom so I can't put one on. _And I don't know if I shoul__d be more embarrassed about that or the fact FullMetal Alchemist posters are all over my walls, my cosplays are spread out in the corner and my sword collection is in plain sight. _OH GOD I JUST NOTICED THE BOX OF TAMPONS ON MY BOOKSHELF.

AND NOW MY MOM'S ROAMING THE HOUSE MOCKING CEASAR MILLAN'S ACCENT.

I AM IN A DELIMMA.


	3. Drei

Ugh, this chapter.

THIS CHAPTER.

I took some time before writing it to do some research and figure out what roles my characters would be taking on in this story – and can I just say, the official Thule Society website was hilarious, yet kind of creepy? "We are NOT Nazis! Now watch our SS mission statement video." _Schutzstaffel? __What, no! How absurd! It stands for Speech in the Silence._ I've gone to the weird part of the internet again. (No offense, of course. I find hilarity in the simplest things.)

**The Lovely Daaaarlings!**

**Mercedes Wolfcry:** Thank you! And those sound like perfect examples of dilemmas, my friend. They sound just as embarrassing as knocking over an entire table at a nail salon resulting in the spilling of nail polish and cleaning water, and the shattering of an innocent lamp. That lamp stood no chance against me and my ways. No chance.

**Katsekala:** Thank you! 8D

**Gummy'fish'lover:** Lulul, I hate when that happens. I had to try three different computers once before a CAPTCHA would finally show up on a forum I was signing up for. They're tricky bastards. Haha! I can assure you that that is exactly what Ed _wants_ to do. But karma's a bitch. It and CAPTCHAs should get together sometime. And thank you, I had quite an interesting experience that day. xD

**AnimeVamp1997:** LAWL I LAUGHED TOO HARD AT THAT. But yes, poor Riley… Heh.

**Tazdevil:** I'm back! Again! Oh dear Lord, I've forgotten about _Ghost Waffles_. I really need to update that sometime soon. And maybe edit the first two (or was it three?) chapters. I had a lot of fun writing that argument for some reason. I guess I like pissed off Gregory. Thank you for the comments! Hopefully I can mend more souls, hah.

**CloudEnvyKunoichi:** Yes, I cosplay! It will be six years of experience come September. At the moment, my biggest cosplay is Switzerland from Hetalia. I have a few others that I don't wear as often, and I'm currently working on a new cosplay of Varric from Dragon Age II (And then Toph from Avatar.) That project was actually why I had to go on hiatus for a while. XD Who do you cosplay? And yes, the dilemma is over! I couldn't go into the bathroom either, really, because the door was off of that too. But all was well!

**IceFire Dragon Alchemist73:** Yup, I needed a hiatus. I hated it, but I needed it nonetheless. xD I suggest you get a Tumblr! Just for the fun of it at least. I don't find it as addicting as my friends, but it's something to kill time with. I personally am thinking of posting small character profiles on my writing account. I'd like to get more in-depth with my characters. Hah, just as Riley thinks she is moving on, this happens. Fates aren't fond of her, it would seem.

**Ausumist:** Thank you! Glad you liked that scene. :3

**cmbgoncrazy:** Lawl, I'm flattered! I love it when people tell me they couldn't stop reading. :3 I'm glad you enjoy the story.

**Mizunou:** I wanted them to interact in some way, but of course, I had to through in some torture there also. xD And LAWL, I'm very surprised someone mentioned Daisuke in that context! I was wondering if someone would get that impression. Ohoho…

**haganeochibi:** Your review is awesome. Just wanted to get that out there. I'm glad you liked the direction I took with Riley's responsibility. She was never one for the dojo, and this isn't helping her any! She most definitely should have been apprenticed, but with Gregory's health deteriorating, he had to teach her what he could in the two years that passed. And that quote is lovely. As far as Riley's gate being open, I honestly cannot answer that without explaining a major plotline I'm slowly etching into this story! It'll be revealed later on, but I can tell you that she has experienced the gate in the past, when she was injured during the explosion as a child. And thanks for the comment about my anime posters! That's some of the best advice anyone can give. xD

**Want to Be a Lovely Daaaarling? Review! Bwahaha****…**

I own Riley and all other characters and plots not recognized in the series. FMA does _not_ belong to me. If it did, I wouldn't have made Maes a Nazi supporter. It sucks, man. Sucks balls. (Am I going to have to give this a mature rating now? FFFFUUU-)

ASDFGHJKKL GUYS, GUYS, GUYS. I'm watching CoS a few more times to get re-acquainted with the movie and asdfghjkl- the cemetery scene with Winry starts off with a grave with my surname on it. I'M DEAD IN AMESTRIS, GUYS, JUST THOUGHT I'D LET YOU KNOW. I'm probably my Amestris-Self who crossed over and doesn't remember her past life. Shit, that explains a lot. Gonna go try to cross back over now, kay bye.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three<br>**_On Shaky Ground_

Alfons glanced over his shoulder, brows furrowing in worry. He heaved a sigh as he turned his attention back to the mug in his hands, watching the tea inside swirl around and follow the movements he made. He didn't know how long he had been awake. An hour, maybe two, but it felt like days. That morning was slow-moving. It didn't help that when he came downstairs, he saw Edward at the table, blank-faced.

He tried to speak to the boy, but no answers were given. Ed was silent and unresponsive. Alfons wondered if it had to do with their argument the day prior, but he wasn't so sure. They had many arguments about this girl he didn't believe to exist, and Ed never acted like this. But what else could it have been? Ed went straight for his room after the argument and wasn't seen the rest of the day.

Sighing again, Al pulled himself away from the counter and turned on his heel, making way toward the dining table. He stopped upon reaching Ed's side and pulled out the closest chair. He'd only gotten halfway into the chair when Ed spoke. "I saw her."

Alfons felt his hand slip off the table. He fell into his chair, rather ungracefully, and looked toward his friend in shock. "What?" He placed his cup on the table before he dropped it, his eyes still glued on Ed's blank form. "Wh-Where is she?… And how? I thought you were upstairs all night!" When nothing was said in response to him, Alfons began to examine Ed's expression. Something was wrong. "…And why aren't you happy about this?" He murmured, his voice lower than he intended it to be. He was afraid of the answer, and thoughts began running through his head. Did she not care about Ed? Was she dead? Every possibility was worse than the last and it only confirmed his opinion that Ed should never have looked for this girl, whoever she was.

Looking down at the table, Ed tightened his grip on his hands. "She was in my dreams," He muttered under his breath, still refusing to look away from the table.

Alfons' shoulders dropped. The disappointment felt like a blow to the stomach, and his confusion rose. What made Ed so… Upset, if it were just a dream? "Oh," He let out, "Don't you normally dream about her?"

Ed shook his head, which surprised Alfons, but the words he spoke next surprised him more. "…This wasn't just a dream. She was real," Ed grumbled, expecting an intense reaction. He didn't want to admit it, but he needed it. He needed Alfons to tell him he was just desperate and to give up. His nerves were fried and he needed his friend to bring him back to some form of normalcy. That didn't come.

Instead, Alfons was quiet. Very quiet. This wasn't the answer he was hoping for, nor expecting. A part of him had always hoped Ed was right about this girl – he didn't believe all of the stories about this other world, but he hoped at least she was real. Ed deserved that. Another, larger part of Alfons wanted to pull him out before he got too deep into this search for her. He knew how it would end. He wanted to yell at Ed, to tell him he was in over his head and his feelings were becoming an obsession. It was the only reason he would believe she was real in his _dreams_.

But Alfons couldn't bring himself to do it. The look on Ed's face was painful, and Alfons realized just how important finding this girl was. How had he have not noticed before? He knew Ed wanted to find her, and that he deserved it, but Alfons never knew just how important it was. It was surprising to see Ed this worked up over someone. It was also concerning.

"You… Saw her in a dream?" Alfons questioned slowly, wanting to make sure he heard right. Ed nodded. Gazing down at the table as though it would provide answers, Alfons phrased his next words carefully. "That must have been hard-"

The glare he received quieted him. "Now you're going to try and be understanding?" Ed spat out, sounding harsher than he meant. He ignored his friend's taken aback look, feeling his emotions turn to anger. "I've been looking for her all this time and now that I need you to argue, you don't?"

Confusion filled the younger boy yet again. "You want me argue?" He asked, ignoring the previous comment Ed made.

"I don't want you to _act_ like you believe me!" Ed replied, "Pitying me only pisses me off!"

Alfons watched with wide eyes as the boy stood from his seat, pushing the chair back with a scratching force, and stormed out of the house. The door slammed behind him, and Alfons spotted the jackets hanging by the door sway from the wind. "…Wouldn't arguing piss him off, too?" Alfons whispered to himself, feeling even more confused than when he came downstairs that morning. He wasn't sure if he should be concerned about Ed's sudden change in attitude, or relieved the boy was still with it enough to have a temper.

. . .

After an hour of fuming anger, Edward had found himself in a bar and restaurant. Seated in the back corner where he could hear and see everyone, he held his glass with a stubborn grip. The place was dimly lit and the smoke floating through the air came from both, the customers and the back of the kitchen. He could see a man wiping down the bar now that his last customer had left, making sure it would be clean for the next batch of patrons. He could see several people sitting at tables in front of him, talking amongst themselves as they picked at their food.

It didn't take long for him to admit he wasn't mad at Alfons. In fact, it was as the door closed behind him that he realized maybe he should go back and apologize. And he would, once he cooled down. No one was at fault, after all. Riley hurt just as much – no, probably more than him. She was the victim of things beyond her control. Neither Alphonse from either world took part. They were just there to witness the separation. Maybe he was mad at himself. That, however, would mean regretting giving his life for his brother's. If that was even what he did.

He'd hunted for Alphonse just as much as he did Riley in the beginning. Finding his younger brother's counterpart did little to calm his nerves. Had Ed given his life for nothing? Maybe that was why he was angry. Such a large sacrifice couldn't be in vain, but he knew just how possible that was.

Just a piece of his old life – just a piece – was what he wanted. That couldn't have been too much to ask for. And once he found a piece, with Riley in his dreams, it was pulled just out of his grasp. Fate was teasing him, mercilessly. Maybe that was what he was mad at. Not any person, or himself, but fate. His _luck._ How nothing seemed to go his way. Damn it, could he have nothing good?

"Have you heard? The Rebellion's getting much more tight-lipped these days…" Ed blinked, his eyesight focusing back in on the table before him. Realizing how tight his grip had been, he loosened it from his glass to prevent shattering it. The Rebellion. How did that sound familiar?

His eyes scanned the customers in front of him, and he zoned in on a plump man sitting at a table not far from him, in another empty corner. He sat with two others; a taller, leaner man in a suit and a short blond woman sporting a high up-do and a gray dress-suit. The plump man pulled at his vest, glancing around with cautious eyes, while the woman gave a clear scoff and slammed her beer mug onto the table. "_More_ tight-lipped? How much _more_ tight-lipped can the Rebellion get?" She mused, her words slurred and her voice loud, "Half the country doesn't even believe they exist and they're getting _more_ tight-lipped. Bah!"

The taller man rolled his eyes, shaking his head at the two he was with. "That's nonsense, the both of you. There's no such group. Wouldn't we have known by now, or do you seriously believe a group of trained rogue soldiers stood by during the Great War? Let alone sit by at this time! It's madness," He explained in a rushed, albeit noisy, whisper.

As the plump man frowned at his friend, the woman pointed a slightly shaky finger at him. "Oi, you," She started with a small hiccup, "The Rebellion's real and I'll bet all my marks on that."

Scoffing, the taller man waved her off with an uncaring hand. "I'd more willing to take blank paper than those worthless things," He commented.

Ed's eyes widened as it finally hit him. The Rebellion. How could he not have remembered the very group Riley's parents began? Turning his head to gain a clearer look at the three, he leaned into his table to hear them better. "Well they'll be worth much more soon, if the Rebellion has anything to say about it," The woman insisted as she waved a handful of marks around.

She placed a sloppy kiss on the marks, slipping them into her pockets as the plump man waved his pudgy hands at his companions. "Will you both quiet down?" He whispered harshly, "With the Nazi party popping up, the Rebellion has to make sure they're more secure than ever. I don't know what's going to happen, but I have a feeling it's going to be bad."

The taller man rolled his eyes once more, both at the plump man's fear of 'nothing' and the woman's head landing on the table beside her empty beer mug. Ed found himself standing from his own table, a spark of hope growing more and more fierce. He left his glass behind, half empty, and made his way toward the corner they were positioned in. His hands slammed down onto the table and the two men jumped, looking up at the boy with wide eyes. The woman gave a grunt, but did not lift her head. "The Rebellion," He started, looking to the plump man, "Where can I find them?"

He could see the taller man's shoulder droop in disappointment, but the plump man began stuttering. "I – The – they – How should… What makes you think I know?" He asked, his voice coming to a low squeak under Ed's intense gaze.

With a small hiccup, the woman lifted her head off the table and laid a small hand on Ed's arm. "Dear," She hiccuped again, "If they were gluing informational posters to the wall and putting their addresses in phone books, they wouldn't exactly be a _secret_ organization, now would they?"

He looked down at the woman and paused at the unusually sober look in her eyes. "…I need to find Riley," He mumbled, sounding much weaker than he wanted to sound.

Another look passed through her eyes before she hiccuped, laughed, and slapped him on the back. "I think you've had too much to drink, Kiddo!" She exclaimed before slipping some marks into his jacket pocket, "Have some coffee. On me, Blondie."

"You're blond, too," The taller man muttered, dull eyes on the woman.

She glared at him, shouting, "'Ey, what did you call me?" He gave a dramatic sigh as she began a one-sided argument. Ed didn't stick around long enough to listen. He turned on his heel, leaving the building with nothing but annoyed determination.

. . .

It had been almost an hour since leaving the bar, that Ed gave a long sigh as he stepped inside his home. He began slipping off his shoes and it didn't take long to hear footsteps from the kitchen. He glanced up, already knowing who he would see.

Alfons watched him with an expression Ed couldn't decipher. If in any other mood, Ed would have stood straight and apologized with a nervous grin attached to his face. However, he ran a hand through his loose locks of hair, slumping toward the table. He gave a wave of his hand in Alfons' direction as he mumbled, "Sorry about earlier. I didn't mean it."

The younger boy gave a small nod in response, watching as Ed shoved his hands into his pockets. "It's fine, Ed," He replied with a reassuring tone.

Slipping out the marks the woman had given him earlier, Ed dropped them on the table without a second glance. "I know it's not worth much, but you can have this," He mumbled as he turned and headed for the stairs beside the table. He wanted nothing more than the peace and quiet of a bath or a nap. Either would be nice.

Alfons spoke up just as Ed placed a foot on the first step to the stairs. "What's this?"

Ed heaved a sigh, leaning back and turning to look toward his friend. What kind of question was that? He wasn't even native to this world and he knew what they were. "They're marks. Some woman gave them to me. Don't know why," He shook his head, scowling a little at the thought of the tipsy woman.

"No," Alfons shook his head as well, giving a small chuckle. He lifted up a small note, looking up at Ed. "I mean what's the address attached to them for?" He questioned, flipping the small slip of paper around in between his fingers. Ed's brows furrowed. Address?

_He looked down at the woman and paused at the unusually sober look in her eyes. "…I need to find Riley," He mumbled, sounding much weaker than he wanted to sound._

_Another look passed through her eyes before she hiccuped, laughed, and slapped him on the back. "I think you've had too much to drink, Kiddo!" She exclaimed before slipping some marks into his jacket pocket, "Have some coffee. On me, Blondie."_

Ed felt his back straighten as he focused in on the paper Alfons held. He held his breath as the once died down spark of hope flew into much larger flames. Eyes widening, he stepped away from the stairs and practically leaped across the room toward the table. He reached across it and snatched the paper from Alfons' hands. Alfons blinked in curiosity, watching as Ed's eyes raced across the paper.

Sure enough, an address had been printed onto the paper. It looked like a thin business card, as though they'd be printed hundreds of times to be handed out. The possibility of it being a hoax crossed his mind, but he couldn't bring himself to care. _It was an address_. He wanted something, and he got it.

"This is it," He whispered under his breath before wrapping his arms around Alfons, who stumbled in surprise. "Thanks!" Ed exclaimed before pulling away. He ran to the door, throwing on his shoes, and took off out of the house, ignoring Alfons calling after him.

. . .

"…" Ed blinked a few times, unsure if he was seeing things correctly.

In front of him was a short paved road, potholes all throughout. On the right side of the road was a tall, concrete wall hiding each side from one another's line of sight. On the left, several houses were lined side-by-side. The windows and most of the doors were boarded up, some of them with collapsing porches or roofs with missing sections. A number of cars sat, parked, near the sidewalk, gathering dust and cobwebs.

This place was abandoned.

How he managed to find it was a mystery enough to Ed. He gripped the corner of the paper with a firm hand, refusing to back away now due to some old structures. He was curious, however, as to whether or not he had been the only life this neighborhood had seen in the past decade or so.

Ed had gotten past several homes, when he heard the clanging of metal on metal. Tensing up, he looked around before spotting a narrow alley in between two of the houses. His eyes narrowed in on a few trashcans placed against the wall, watching as they swayed back and forth. "Hey, who's there?" He questioned, stepping slowly toward the alley.

At the most, he expected a cat to come bouncing out from around the trashcans. Most definitely, did he not expect a man. That, however, was exactly what he got.

He was lanky, bald and pale. Almost paper white, in fact. He could have been taller, at one point in his life – but he looked about the height of a child, hunched over the way he was. His large pointy noise stood out on his round face, his eyes big and his lips thin. His hands, dangling about in front of him, had twitching wrists. He looked familiar, but Ed couldn't seem to place the face. At first.

Gazing up at the blond, the man gave a twisted smirk as he cackled. "Well, we have a visitor, do we?" His voice slithered out as he began stepping toward Ed.

Ed remained quiet, watching the man with tense preparation. The man stepped out of the alley, revealing splotches of skin discoloration, and Ed finally remembered. His eyes widened, stepping away from the surprise. "_Bido_…," He realized, "_One of Greed's guys. But why is he here? Unless_…"

He had no more time to think, before Bido rushed toward Ed. It wasn't in a threatening manner, but when Ed caught the shine of a knife in the man's belt, he didn't really care what manner it was in. Stepping back, Ed held up his free hand toward Bido, who came to a stop a mere five feet away from him. "And he's cautious! That's good, that is," Bido spoke under his breath. Ed wasn't sure if it was directed toward him or Bido was speaking to himself.

Rubbing his hands together, he nodded up at Ed as though answering an unspoken question. "What are you doing here?" He yelled, before recoiling into himself. "Visitors aren't allowed. The police will catch you, they will."

Ed's brows furrowed as he examined the man who appeared to be on the brink of insanity. "I'm looking for the Rebelli-"

"Shh!" Bido interrupted, leaning forward as he waved his hands back and forth. The gesture startled Ed, which seemed to please Bido. "Do not say their name aloud! Foolish boy…," He shook his head as he turned his back toward Ed, before waving a hand of his shoulder in a 'follow me' gesture. Ed hesitated, but began to follow as Bido walked along the sidewalk, muttering to himself about the new batch being dumber than the last.

Ed didn't bother to hold back his curiosity, looking and touching at everything he passed. Some things were rubble – piles of debris from damaged homes or the road; other things were old cars with so many layers of dust on the windows, he couldn't see inside. He received quite a shock at one car, wiping the dust away from the window to find a skeleton staring back at him. Bido got a good laugh out of that – yelling, "I knew someone would fall for it one day, I did! Of course it would be this one!"

Safe to say, Ed ignored the cars after that.

"What happened to this place, anyway?" Ed questioned as he climbed under a fallen tree, cars blocking any other form of entry into the next portion of the road.

Bido did not look back at Ed as he walked. He continued rubbing his hands together, replying in a somewhat somber tone, "War happened. Filthy war…" Ed looked down at Bido, trying to assess the man's sudden change in expression. There was little time for it, however, as Bido stopped walked and grinned up at a building. "You stop here, you do." Blinking a few times, Ed looked up at the same building as Bido.

And there it was.

He stared up at the small, two story home in front of him with little surprise. With dark brown paneling and boarded up windows, it looked exactly like all the rest. He wouldn't have known it was the right house without the black '0401' bolted above the door. The fact it had one number more than the other house addresses did not slip past him unnoticed. Gulping, Ed realized just how nervous he was. He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked from the paper in his hands to the house.

Feeling a nudge against his shoulder, he looked down to see Bido elbowing him as best he could from his short height. "It won't open up and swallow you, boy…" He gave another twisted grin, cackling as he said, "I would know, I've seen many foolish boys and girls wander into that house."

The corner of Ed's lips fell downward as he rose a brow. "I take it you don't like the Rebell-"

"Shh!" Bido interrupted once more, leaning up on his toes. "How many times must I tell you?" He shouted, waving his hands around Ed's face. "I can't let everyone know I'm involved!"

Ed twitched in annoyance. He looked around dramatically before exclaiming, "It's just us! No one's here!"

"That's what they _want_ you to believe!" Bido yelled before hunching over even more than he already had been. He seemed to rub at his hands with more energy, shaking his head as he looked around with wide eyes. "These houses… I see shadows darting around in them, I hear whispering from their doors… They hear _everything,_ they do," Bido whispered out as he waved at Ed. "Enough! I'm done!"

Ed was unable to respond, Bido running off the instant his last words were spoken. He watched as the back of Bido disappeared under the fallen tree, and he sighed. What had he gotten himself into? With the shake of his head, he looked back the house in front of him. Bido was the least of his concerns at the moment. Who would be behind that door?

He felt his face flush almost immediately as he thought of Riley's father. He hadn't heard much about him, but he had heard he wasn't a pleasant man around people he didn't know, or trust. "_And not only am I a stranger, I was his daughter's_…" He blushed a little, unsure of what to call himself, but he tried shaking away from those thoughts. That was back in Amestris, not this world. In this world, he didn't know this version of Riley. Though he had to admit, if he were to meet her parents, he wouldn't have wanted it to be in this fashion.

Maybe he would get lucky, and someone else would answer the door. Someone he didn't know. Or maybe Riley. That would be too good. Gulping once more, he raised his hand and knocked his gloved fist against the tan wooden door three times. He could hear footsteps from inside the house, and his throat began to close up. He calmed himself just in time for the door to open.

His eyes widened as the paper slipped from his hands.

In a dark blue trench-coat, Radley Blackburn stood across from Edward, his black and silver hair resting at his back.

* * *

><p>I am almost ashamed to admit that I let out an entirely unnatural squeal after I wrote that last line in this chapter. <em>I am a fangirl of my own character.<em>

Be Responsible. **Don't Flame and Drive**! _Rawr_.


	4. Four

Guys. Guys. I feel horrible, guys. Horrible.

Upon looking over previous chapters, I came to the harsh realization that it took me one year to write five chapters. _An entire year_. This is unacceptable, and I plan on 2012 being much more productive than 2011. Hopefully _ughI'maGodawfulwriter_.

But upon beginning my new HP fanfiction, _As Good As Spring Itself_, I have opened the well of my… Well, whatever I have up there that's making this shit up.

**The Lovely Daaaarlings!**

**CloudEnvyKunoichi:** Ah, an England! And bah, I wouldn't worry much about the accent, though I give props to anyone who can fake them! Yes, Toph! I'm really excited about her. She'll be my first female cosplay, lawl. I am indeed watching Legend of Korra! Liking it a lot so far, but I'm trying hard not to compare it between the first series. Are you watching it?  
>And I knew there was an error in this chapter, I could feel it in my veins asdfghjkl- <em>you saw nothing<em>. (Intense Frown Here.)

**katsekala:** Haha, I thought I'd keep the other version of Riley away for a little bit longer.

**AnimeVamp1997:** Oh jeez, the fates don't play around with cliffhangers, do they? And I HAVE NO REGRETS for loving Blackburn. _NONE._

**Meatbun Attack:** He mostly just wants to find Riley's doppelganger. If the doppelganger is dead, than Riley is most likely dead in Amestris as well. If that's the case, it'll provide him with answers. Otherwise, he just wants to _see_ her again. Remember, it's been two years and he misses her and Al both, and Al's doppelganger gives him some sort of comfort and stability. He hopes Riley's will too.

**Cmbgoncrazy:** Hurr, you'll have to wait another chapter, actually. This one's all about Riley!  
>I had your cat with me the whole time! He was helping me write that chapter. A muse, you could say. (I do find that creepy, though. Kind of funny, too. xD) I do hope he's alright, though. Didn't get into any messes, or anything?<p>

**IceFire Dragon Alchemist73:** Noooo, noooo! Blackburn's her _god_father, not her actual father!

**Mercedes Wolfcry:** Thank you! Glad you liked it~

**Shiinku:** I MISSED YOU TOO, SHIINKU.  
><em>Thank you<em>! My writing has indeed changed since the first story. I'm really happy someone noticed. I'm also very happy that the emotion is there for so many people. And yes, the pain isn't quite so bad knowing things will look up (eventually!)  
>Don't worry too much about the OCs at the dojo – the only two you'll be seeing through most of the story is Shiori and Daisuke. And Riley has grown, hasn't she? xD We'll both be seeing which turn she takes, because I have no idea right now.<br>Thank you, again! I've been worrying a bit about how in character I'm keeping Ed with this sequel, as I don't have a lot to go off of. As far the gate bit, when someone in the FMA world dies, they cross over to the gate. When they die in that world, that's it. Hughes _is_ dead in the FMA world, and has 'crossed over' to the gate. However, if he was dead and gone in the 'real' world, he would be gone in the FMA world too. I believe that's how it goes, it's quite confusing. x.x  
>I really hope it does do some magic for Blackburn. He's one of my favorite characters I've created and I've always wanted to give him more dimensions. And the dream was pretty hard for me to write. xD<br>Your review _most certainly_ did bring a smile to my face. A huge, dorky smile that sat there for a few hours. And then a few days later, I'd remember it and smile some more. So _thank you_!

**Mizunou:** Thank you, I'm glad it's okay! Because I really enjoy Blackburn. xD I think Ed's pretty nervous about what he'll find, too. We'll have to wait and see~

**Silver Levi:** My butt has gotten up and updated. Glad you like the story~

**ninjapanda:** Thank you! I hope I do, too! xD  
>The question about Riley's hands is a very good question, and I'm pretty happy someone brought that up. I have thought it over, and I'm in the planning stages revolving around that one fact, actually. To let you know, her circles <em>are<em> under the skin, and they are in contact with her blood.  
>And good luck with becoming a writer! Or, if you decide to do something else, good luck becoming that. :3<p>

**Want to Be a Lovely Daaaarling? Review! Bwahaha…**

I've also noticed TSA was in two community archives and now I'm really embarrassed. (Blushing.)

Riley and all other unofficial content in this story belongs to me (including Tesser Hills. Tesser Hills is all mine.) FMA doesn't belong to me. Sadface. But Blackburn does. Happyface!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<br>**_The Repetition of History_

"Asshole!"

"Your voice is incredibly annoying."

"Why you…"

I sighed, glancing toward the door at my right. It was amazing how far voices could travel at the dojo. It was irritating too – no one could ever reach a state of deep sleep, what with someone falling, breaking something, or yelling at someone else. The Dojo was hectic, loud. Maybe that was why I needed to get away and clear my head, because the chaos was most certainly not helping.

The decision to leave was kind of a quick one. It was the planning that took two days, and the arguing about Daisuke that took us a third. After my episode in the main room, Gregory was adamant about Daisuke tagging along with Shiori and me. I thought it unnecessary but after hours of arguing, Gregory won. At noon, the three of us would be on our way to Tesser Hills, the first stop on our journey.

Grabbing my bag, I swung the strap over my shoulder and headed for the door. I glanced back before I left. There was a subtle way the sun highlighted every inch of my room that was almost melancholic. The curtains against the single window gave way to a light breeze, flowing around in the air and casting moving shadows on the walls.

A small part of me hoped I would never see that room again.

Leaving, I walked around the porch and wound up in front of the dojo, where I saw the two people I had heard long before. They were glaring at one another, though Farin was doing it much better. Louis never was one for expressions and it showed through his lack luster anger. "Knock it off," I finally spoke, running a hand over the back of my head, "You both know you aren't getting anywhere with this."

They looked toward me upon hearing my voice. With a dramatic sigh, Farin's shoulders drooped. "How do you expect us not to kill each other then? Yelling at least distracts us from homicidal urges."

Before I could respond, someone spoke from behind me. "You could try kissing. I heard it worked for Riley and _her_ boyfriend." My eyes widened and I spun on my heel to locate the voice. As I thought, Shiori stood there with a sly smirk attached to her cheeky, bratty little face. She turned her gaze from the two students up toward me. "Didn't it, Riley?"

I watched her for a moment. Unless she was joking about Ed and I, unlike what the look in her eye implied, someone had to have told her about that. But who? Gregory didn't even know. Eyes narrowing, I recalled Hannah's last visit the previous month, where she and Shiori had spent an entire day out shopping together. "…Or you could just hold in your anger and use annoying children as punching bags," I hissed, frowning down at the girl.

"I hear kissing works much better!" She replied. Glaring, I reached out for her but she giggled and took off around me.

That was it, Shiori was going into cargo. "Get back here, you foul-mouthed brat!" I shouted, turning to watch her run away. She continued giggling, and my fists clenched. "I can change your train ticket to cargo! Don't think I won't do it, kid!" I yelled louder as she turned the corner. "_You'll sleep with the sheep tonight_!"

What on Earth made me decide to bring that brat with me?

. . .

I stepped toward Gregory's office (or _my_ office) as quietly as I could. Noon was approaching and I knew he'd want to see us off, for Shiori's sake. Placing my hand on the door, I began to slide it open and spotted him at my mother's old desk in the corner of the room. With narrowed eyes, I stopped moving, watching him.

After my parents died, my mother's desk was abandoned. No one wanted to go through it. Gregory had to go through my father's desk because he was head, and the head had files required to run the place. That was hard enough on him. I remember Jacob and I spying on him as he cleaned that desk. It was the first and only time I'd seen him cry. To be going through my mother's desk was more than odd.

He opened one of the side drawers, and took out a picture frame. The wood around it was old, from what I could tell, and he had to wipe dust from the glass. Gregory's expression faltered slightly as he looked down at the picture, and I spotted his knuckles going white from his grip. He heaved a sigh, shaking his head. "What a fool…," He mumbled under his breath. Finally, I knocked on the door. I could see him jump from the noise as I walked in, but he hid his surprise. "Riley," He began, slipping the picture back into the drawer.

I watched him a moment more as I fiddled with the straps of my bag. Glancing around the room, I gathered the courage to speak. "We're heading out."

Gregory nodded, stepping out from behind the desk. "Ah, all is set then?" He questioned.

Furrowing my brows, I replied with a simple tone, "Yes. What were you looking at?"

A flicker of emotion crossed his face as he looked to the desk. "Nothing. I just think it's time we cleaned her desk. A decade is a good enough wait period." I hid my frustration. Gregory was many things, but a liar was not one of them. Turning his gaze onto me, he furrowed his brows. "Riley. Are you sure about this trip?"

I sighed. This was one of the many conversations we had over the past three days. He was more reluctant than anyone about my temporary absence. While I had thought it was due to my responsibilities to the dojo, he seemed too persistent for that to be the problem. I never asked about it, however. Chances were, I didn't want to know, but my curiosity was getting the better of me. "Yes, I'm sure. Why do you keep asking?" I questioned him once and for all on the matter, hoping my tone made it clear that I wasn't going to let up.

But he shook his head, refusing to answer. He walked around the desk, looking around the room. Anywhere but me. "Nothing. It's nothing, I'm just worried," He mumbled.

After a few seconds of silence, I crossed my arms over my chest. My bag moved as the strap hung around my shoulder, and I narrowed my eyes at him. "You should know by now you can't lie for shit, Gregory. What are you afraid of?"

Finally, he sighed and turned toward me. "History repeating itself," He muttered out in response.

This confused me more than anything. Gregory seemed tired, exhausted even, by the conversation, but I pressed on. He was hiding something from me, that much was obvious. "What history? Gregory, just tell me already," I said with a sigh that matched his.

Sitting at his desk, Gregory looked up at me with a blank expression. He watched me a moment before clasping his hands together. "A few years before you were born, something similar happened to a man I knew. He lost his family, much like how you lost those Elric boys. He left for a while – said he needed a break, to clear his head. I think he lost himself, in the pain most likely. He didn't return with good intentions," He explained, his voice low.

I took a seat in the chair across from the desk, frowning as I took in his words. Did he really think I'd lost myself so much? "…So, what, you think I'm becoming a threat?" I asked him.

He didn't hesitate as I would've hoped. He looked me in the eye and without a second's thought, he stated, "I think you're on a path that could make you or break you." I snorted at this. It was typical of him to work his way around a question he didn't want to outright answer. I don't know how long we sat there, but it felt like hours. Gregory was fiddling with his hands as I thought over what he said with a grain of salt.

Finally, I stood and motioned for the door. "Well, Shiori wants to say goodbye to you before we leave." He gave me a look of acknowledgment and stood as well. He began walking toward the door, but I called his name before he left. He turned to face me, and I looked away. "…I'm sorry. About the argument we had other day."

Silence passed over us. I tried to keep a straight face as Gregory examined my expression. After several painful seconds, he nodded. "We were both at the end of our rope," He sighed out, looking toward the ground. This made me even more curious. Whatever he was thinking about, it had nothing to do with our argument or Shiori or anything current. It was the past. That was the only time he got that look. "People do many things they normally wouldn't when they feel they've lost everything."

I didn't reply as he turned his back to me. Gripping the door, he slid it open and left the room without another word. "…" I glanced toward my mother's desk before making my way toward it. After a moment of waiting to make sure he wouldn't burst through the doors, I slid the drawer open. Amidst the messy paperwork and spare change, there was a picture frame. Its wood was indeed rotting, as I thought it was, and the glass was cracked along the edges.

The picture itself was a small snapshot of a group of adults. I recognized my father in the corner of the image with an unusually proud look in his eye. My mother stood beside a bed, holding the hand of a woman I'd never seen before. This woman was beautiful – light colored hair and slanted eyes that seemed to hold a sacred emotion in them. They were all looking at one man. Radley Blackburn sat at the edge of the bed, holding a crying baby in his arms.

I had never seen the look that was on Blackburn's face from anyone before. I couldn't quite place it either – fear? Hope? Love? Looking toward the baby, I realized it was most likely all three. There was no mistaking it. Radley Blackburn was a father. Gregory's words echoed in my mind, and I felt myself frown. Was _Blackburn_ who he was talking about? He thought I was turning into another Blackburn?

That wouldn't happen.

Glancing toward the door of the office, I felt my grip tighten on the picture frame. I could hear faint footsteps leading to the door so with great speed, I took the picture out of its frame, folded it up, and slid it into my jacket pocket. I didn't know why, but I wanted to know more. I _had_ to know more.

Just as I shut the drawer, the door opened and Daisuke's head peered in. "Riley? Are you ready? We should be leaving soon."

I looked up toward him and nodded. "Let's go…," I mumbled, sparing one last glance around the office. He watched me for a moment before leaving the room, and I wasn't far behind. We walked along the porch together in a comfortable silence.

We reached the entrance of the dojo, and the steps leading to the path into the nearest town. Gregory and Jacob stood there with Shiori, who spoke to Gregory with excitement. I couldn't blame her. She was about to travel Amestris, after all. Hearing us approach, Shiori glanced back toward us before throwing herself into Gregory. Her arms wrapped around his waist, unable to reach any higher. "I'll see you soon, Uncle," She said, her voice muffled by his overcoat.

Gregory nodded as he placed a hand on the back of her head. "Behave, Shiori." Despite the firmness of his tone, his expression was more tender. It was obvious he cared about his family. Shiori pulled away from him, facing him with a small but empty pout.

As she turned toward Jacob, who ruffled her hair and joked with her about the 'big scary train,' I looked up at Gregory. He was frowning down at me and at first I thought it was irritation, until he sighed. "You look so much like your mother," He said, slipping his hands into his pockets. I blinked in surprise. No one had told me that before but more so, where was this coming from? "You _act_ like your father," He muttered with a quirked brow.

I couldn't help the smirk pulling at my lips. "Unfortunately, huh?"

One of his hands clapped onto my shoulder as he looked me in the eye. "You would do well to remember what the dojo has taught you. How we raised you." There was a desperate look on his face and even though it made me worry, I nodded. He tightened his grip on my shoulder and glanced toward Shiori and Daisuke. Looking back to me, he said, "I expect you three to return _intact_."

"Don't worry," Shiori droned from behind me. We both turned to see her crossing her arms with a smug smirk, "I'll take good care of these two idiots, Uncle."

My brow twitched. "_Cargo_, Shiori. Cargo," I growled toward her.

Daisuke gave a nervous laugh at this, patting Shiori on the shoulder as he waved his other hand toward us. "N-Nonsense, no one's sleeping in cargo," He said, trying to reassure Gregory about his niece's well-being.

I heard a sigh from Gregory's direction, and I glanced back to see him shaking his head. "Daisuke's going to go insane with you two," He mumbled, returning my glance with an amused one. Snorting, I waved his hand off my shoulder and stepped away. It was time to leave.

"Riley." I stopped to look toward the voice, and spotted Jacob standing there with a grin. "Have fun," He said as he shifted in his stance, "But come back."

We looked at one another for a while in silence. He stood much taller than me, but he still looked like the boy I grew up with at the dojo. Bald head and all. "I will," I replied, nodding. Turning away, I stepped toward Daisuke and Shiori, and we set off down the path.

. . .

It was quiet in the train as it pushed onward along the tracks. Daisuke was across from me, watching the moving scenery outside. I couldn't look. I tried, two years before, and broke down in tears at all the memories. I was surprised I wasn't clamming up as much as I thought I would. Crossing my arms, I turned my torso and threw my legs onto the booth. As I leaned sideways into the cushioned back, Daisuke began looking around.

He frowned a bit, turning toward me after he didn't see what he was searching for. "You think Shiori would be back from the bathroom by now. Should we check on her? Maybe she gets ill in motion," He murmured, his brows furrowed in concern for the girl.

"What?" I asked, looking to him as though I'd tuned out long ago. I had, really, hoping the ride would go by faster.

Sighing, Daisuke repeated his words, "Should we check on Shiori? A bathroom trip shouldn't take this long."

I snorted, closing my eyes once more. "Bathroom? Who said anything about the bathroom?" I questioned as I rested my head on the cushion as well. The warmth was nice and comforting. With a simple tone, I stated, "She's in cargo."

Daisuke paled as his own thoughts imagined her stuffed in a crate two sizes too small. Stiffening, his eyes widened. "Th-That's child abuse!" He yelped, his voice higher than I've ever heard it. I shrugged, causing him to hyperventilate. He began looking around for anyone of authority, when a voice, faint but there, echoed through the train.

"Riley Mauler, _I hate you_!"

People sitting throughout the train looked around in confusion, trying to pinpoint what was clearly a child's voice. What little color was left on Daisuke's face left in a flash. My eyes remained closed, however, as I slid further down the wall so I could reach a laying position. "She'll get over it."

"G-Get over it…?" The boy across from my both sent me an incredulous stare. "She's in cargo!"

A long ways down the train, at one of the last carts attached, was the cargo hold. It was packed with crates stacked to the ceiling, cages of restless chickens, and sheep. It was dark, with two small windows at the very top of the side walls. The floor was a cold tile, harsh to the cart's inhabitants. Feathers were everywhere and the noise echoed through the cart tenfold, bouncing back and forth.

Shiori sat amidst it all. Fuming.

* * *

><p>I know this chapter is on the short side, but it was needed in order to keep the story going. Plus it was kind of hard to write. x.x<p>

Be Responsible. **Don't Flame and Drive**! _Rawr_.


	5. Fünf

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? PICTURES? BESIDE STORY SUMMARIES? WHAT'S NEXT, A FOOTNOTE SECTION? (And then I see 'Upcoming – Notes Feature'… Okay, FF, I see how it is.) And summaries are longer! Yay! I don't have to cram a description into 255 characters! FF knows how to make a girl happy. Always the simple things. (Even if I don't like the new crammed-in look.)

So, just letting everyone know what an awesome time I had at SeishunCon last month. I was Casual France. With real fuzz. That did not belong to me. Poodles have many uses. (No animals were harmed in the making of my cosplay, but they were traumatized upon seeing me glue the fur they just lost, to my face.)

I'm also in the process of helping plan a large cosplay meet-up at the end of July. If you can make it to Atlanta and you enjoy either Hetalia, Kuroshitsuji, or Homestuck, come out to Centennial Olympic Park on the 21st for an Olympics styled set of games, from 11am to 3pm. I'll be the short Baldroy.

**The Lovely Daaaarlings!**

**Cmggoncrazy:** I'm glad he's alright! Haha, our tabby's the badass of the neighborhood. I can't count the amount of times he's come home with a new scratch.  
>Thank you! Yes, it's quite Riley of her, hah.<p>

**Gummy'Fish'Lover:** I hate the security codes. I failed it three times when I was trying to sign in last week.  
>No, no he does not die if you keep it paused. In fact, if we get everyone who owns this movie to watch it, and then pause before he dies, I think the Earth will spin backwards and keep him alive, because that shit was messed up. (I think we all have problems, friend.)<p>

**IceFire Dragon Alchemist73:** No harm done! Just wanted to make sure you remembered! xD

**katsekala:** Thank you! Hah, Shiori will bounce back. She's young.

**CloudEnvyKunoichi:** Haha, those pictures won't come for a while! I stopped by so many fabric stores looking for the right material to use, and the cheapest deal I could find was eighty dollars. This will take a little longer than I thought it would.  
>I don't know if I've looked for you on DevART yet, but I will definitely be doing that when I finish writing this.<br>Hah, at first I was worried Bolin was going to be nothing but a mood lightener. Now I think I like his character even more than Korra's. You make a good point about dialogue. I do think that's in part due to their era. Korra's generation is much more like ours, not to mention she's more of a teenager whereas Aang was still a child. As far as relationships for Korra, I'm very unsure about it at the moment. One thing I liked about Avatar was that Aang's relationships moved at a more realistic pace. We weren't even ten episodes in, and Korra's already exploring the back of Mako's throat, ahaha. And I agree with the individualistic episodes – I think that's my biggest problem with the show, really. It's kind of spastic and just… Too fast-pace. I like having to wait twenty episodes before seeing 'Final Showdown!' in giant letters on the screen.  
>Thanks for the review, however much it may have focused on Legend of Korra! I don't mind at all.<p>

**Shiinku:** Shiinkuuu, you're spoiling meee…  
>I do want to make it known that the four chapters that took me so long to write were actually a part of the first story! Every chapter of this sequel has been written in this year and posted twenty-four hours after being written. I'm doing a much better job this time around, I think.<br>And yes! Bingo! That's it exactly. Finding her will offer him a partial answer and _some_ kind of comfort – or, you know, agony.  
>I'm glad someone understands about my love for one of my own characters. I at least like most of my characters, but every once in a while, I come up with that one particular person I can't stop molding. And your examination of his role in the story, as well as Gregory's fears, are completely amazing to hear. It's awesome when someone else puts that kind of thought into something you create. Riley has a lot of obstacles coming her way.<br>I was _very_ unsure about creating the dojo in the first story, and knowing that Riley had agreed to come back to it once her journey with Ed was over, I really wanted to try and 'upgrade it', so to speak.  
>Haha, I wondered if anyone would be taken back by Shiori's little joke! She's the kind of kid to prod some of the most sore spots a person may have, and the only person who would have the backbone to prod Riley's sore spot. And I loved that scene from FMA. Hah, that was where Riley got the inspiration for it.<br>Shiori and Daisuke are both from other parts of the world, and that's the short answer. Shiori's mother is Gregory's sister, but her father was of another culture, pretty much their version of Japan. He was given permission to name their first child (being Shiori) after his own mother. Daisuke comes from a long line of people with Japanese names, and his parents carried on the tradition.  
>And no worries! It was more or less starting chapter four that was a bit of an obstacle for me. The first few chapters were complicated for me, which is why I took a small hiatus before I posted chapter three. That one was a lot of fun to write, and I'm currently working on three other stories as well. This story is no burden at all – I've always had fun writing, sometimes I just have to force myself through a particular chapter in order to get back to the fun part. And in turn, I complain about it unnecessarily. xD<p>

**Mizunou:** 'Al'ed! My new favorite term, hah!  
>You know, the idea of them being related did cross my mind. Like some kind of messed up soap-opera where Radley had a kid but Kevin and Clairessant agreed to take her as their own because he couldn't handle it or something like that. I decided to take a less dramatic approach. xD I know what you mean with making weird connections, I do it all the time.<p>

**Ninjapanda:** Riley is not entirely lost just yet! There is hope. They're pretty much taking an FMA version of a cross-country road trip. Riley will be visiting some old friends along the way, and Daisuke and Shiori will want to check in on family, but other than that, it'll be aimless wandering. A bunch of adventures in one big journey.  
>Ohoho, you would be angry, would you?<p>

**Ausumist:** Reading it back, I think I know what you mean. No, that was not intentional. It was more of an assumption on Riley's part. She _knew_ Shiori was back there fuming, because she could almost see it in her mind, you know?

**Silver Levi:** Riley is always true to her word. _Always_. (And it may be nonsense, but by God, it's inspirational nonsense!)

**AnimeVamp1997:** Lawl, last year was hard for me, okay?  
>Blackburn <em>is<em> a daddy, yes. A sour-puss one, in the brooding, long-jacket wearing, kind of way.  
>AHAHAHAHA PREPARE FOR THE MIND-FUCKERY. (Oh jeez, I really am going to have to give this story an M-rating, aren't I?)<p>

**AddXC92:** Oh how sweet Revenge can be. For the both of them. Mwahaha… Thank you! Glad you like it!

**Kira-Harajuku:** Your demand has been granted, madame (even if it took like a month. Pssh, who's counting anyway?) And thank you! I hope it does wind up being amazing. =w=

**SIFProductionsdesu-yo:** That is really weird. =I I have successfully managed to creep myself out at this point. But thank you! I'm glad you like the story! Flying Mint Bunny, indeed, friend.

**Want to Be a Lovely Daaaarling? Review! Bwahaha…**

If I owned FullMetal Alchemist, I would use that power to shorten summer down to a few weeks and make Fall the primary weather. Do not debate this logic. You will not understand it. I do not understand it. But I _believe_ in it. _Believe_, my friends, and you will be rewarded.  
>(This is me when I've been awake for two days.)<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>  
><em>The Lion's Den<em>

_Riley grabbed the back of Blackburn's coat, growling, "Now it's my turn."_

_Her hands heated up around his coat. Within seconds, his jacket blew up – just as he wrapped his fingers around her arm. Pain shot up through her arm and Riley lost control, as well as concentration. The explosion was much larger than expected, and Ed could hear both Blackburn's and Riley's screams over the sounds of the Riley's attack. His blood froze as he spotted Riley flying out of the dust, landing hard on her back. "Riley!"_

It was on instinct that Ed's entire body tensed in rage. His fists clenched, surely turning his knuckles white. He even felt blood. Blackburn's eyes widened when he saw Ed, and that was enough. Blackburn remembered him.

So Ed lunged.

His fists went around Blackburn's neck in an instant, and the two flew toward the carpeted ground inside the house. There was a large thud from the impact, which did nothing but please Ed. He raised back one of his fists and sent it to Blackburn's face. There was a crack underneath his fist, but Ed had no chance to continue his attack before hands wrapped around his upper arms. He looked to either side of him, fully prepared to yell at whoever stopped him.

A bald boy stood there, perhaps a few years older than Ed. He was glaring down at the blond, a frown etched deep into his features. A woman had also made her entrance, helping Blackburn to his feet. Her auburn hair was tied, loosely, to the back of her head and her green eyes were watching Ed like a hawk. "Are you alright, Radley?" She asked, her voice bold and her tone firm.

Ed turned his attention back to said man, who was putting pressure against the bridge of his nose. "It's just a bloody nose," Blackburn replied, pulling out of the woman's grasp. "Nothing to fret over, Moa."

The woman, Moa, rose a skeptical brow as she looked down at him, but accepted the answer. She turned toward Ed, and stood straighter, preparing for any possibility. "Do you know this boy?" She questioned, eying his appearance and posture with small distaste.

For a quiet moment, Ed and Blackburn stared one another down. It was tense in the small office as the seconds passed. Ed wanted nothing more than for the boy behind him to let go; he could feel every bone in his body aching to lunge at the man. He knew Riley had killed Blackburn, but a part of him never stopped feeling responsible for letting Riley getting as hurt as she did. He wanted his own revenge.

"Yes, I know him," Blackburn spoke up, bringing Ed out of his thoughts. With a long sigh, Blackburn moved his glare off of Ed as he added, "I just called him short, it's nothing serious." More silence passed. The woman, Moa, appeared confused by Blackburn's response, while Ed began twitching. Just what game was Blackburn playing at? He knew who Ed was, he was the same Blackburn as before he crossed the gates, so what was the purpose of his lie? "Leave us," The man ordered with a calm tone, keeping eye contact with Ed all the while.

Moa seemed just as confused as Ed. She crossed her arms across her chest and the subtle muscles in her arms flexed. She moved to speak in protest, but catching sight of the boy restraining Ed, who shook his head at her, Moa gave a heavy sigh. "I'll be at the infirmary if you need me," She stated with a small nod. She waved her hand toward the boy behind Ed, and the two removed themselves from the situation.

Ed watched as they left the office. Just before the door behind them closed, Ed caught sight of a long hallway. He wondered just how large the building was – he wouldn't have been surprised if all the houses along the road outside were just there to cover a much larger continuation of rooms. Turning his glare back toward the man in front of him, Ed stepped forward, only to have Blackburn raise his hand. Returning the glare with a firm look of his own, Blackburn said, "Cause another scene and I will have you thrown out."

Knowing how much authority Blackburn seemed to have, Ed dimmed his glare and loosened his fists. "You remember," He growled, though he wasn't sure what good it would do him.

Blackburn sighed. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he gave a nod and said, "Yes, I remember. Judging from your reaction, you died then, too."

"To save my brother," Ed snapped in response.

He was quick to notice Blackburn rolling his eyes as said man leaned forward. "Well how wonderful, shall we build a statue in your honor?" He hissed out vehemently under his breath. He ignored Ed's intense glare as he repositioned his jacket. "We all were fighting for something we lost, Elric," He added as he walked toward the desk in the corner of the room.

Ed's irritation rose. Was this man serious? Ed lost his life, so that his brother could live. They lost limbs and childhoods and friends, and Blackburn was honestly belittling all of that? "What did you lose, future victims?" He exclaimed.

Blackburn spun on his booted heel, glaring down at Ed with an expression of pure rage. He opened his mouth to speak, yell, or scream in anger, but he was caught off. "Who is this?"

The new voice was deep, smooth, and without emotion, and it cut through the tension in the air like a bullet. Blackburn straightened at the sound and Ed felt his own back and shoulders stiffen as he looked to face the new man.

He was tall, probably standing a few inches above Blackburn, and his lean build made him appear even more intimidating than one would think. His skin was a deep tan, hinting at the time he spent under the sun. His hair, long and black, reached his shoulders and several strands were fading into a matured gray. Bangs, nose-length, swept around the sides of chillingly dark brown eyes, which were deep set and shadowed under his brows. His lips thin, his nose straight and long, he stared down the room at the two men before him.

Clearing his throat, Blackburn stood straight and turned his gaze toward the ground in respect. "Edward Elric," He replied, "An… Acquaintance."

The man's gaze turned onto Ed, who felt far smaller than he preferred. This was odd to him; he hadn't felt this way with any of the authority figures in the military. It was a frozen kind of feeling, one of inferiority. Ed hated it. The man glanced toward Blackburn with curiosity, asking, "Why is he here?"

Blackburn cleared his throat as he tugged at the collar of his coat. His eyes darted to Ed, narrowed, holding the same question as the stranger in the doorway. Ed turned his head downward and clenched his fists together. Noticing this, Blackburn let out a small sigh. "He's… Here for recruitment, Sir," He spoke as a mischievous look sparkled in his eyes. Whatever was going through his mind, Ed was sure he didn't want to know.

The room was quiet as this man stepped toward them. He stopped when he reached Ed, and examined the boy with close scrutiny. The frown tugging at his lips was tight and judgmental, and Ed began to regret coming. "_No, I'm here for Riley_," He told himself with determination. He would stand his ground. He had to, for her.

"And you're recommending him, Radley?" He questioned without turning toward Blackburn.

Said man nodded, much to Ed's surprise. Ed watched him with confusion as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Elric is… Good, at what he does. He's also Hohenheim's boy," He replied with a blank tone and an emotionless expression.

Ed felt his nerves tensing, though he didn't fail to notice the man in front of him bare a small change in posture at the mention of Hohenheim. How did Ed's father figure into this, and how did _Blackburn_ know him? He thought back to his last moments in Amestris, where he'd witnessed Blackburn working for Dante. Perhaps through her, but why did it matter here? There was something else, he was sure of it.

"Well, he _sounds_ fairly qualified," The man in front of him mused under his breath before twisting his torso. Looking to Blackburn, he ordered, "Very well… Have Moa check him over. If she gives him an approval, he'll be under your watch until we can do any official tests."

As if he hadn't seen enough that day, Ed watched Blackburn bow. With an arm resting across his stomach, he nodded and muttered, "Master Mauler."

He looked back to Ed, who almost stumbled to the floor in shock. "Mauler?" He whispered, returning the hard stare. "_You're_ Kevin Mauler?" He asked, his voice loud in an incredulous tone.

"Good to see he isn't totally daft," Kevin commented with a steely voice as he left the room.

What color was there flushed from Ed's face. Kevin Mauler, _the_ Kevin Mauler, leader of the Rebellion Army, the man who led soldiers into battle against the government, cities, and monsters in the form of people, insulted him. He mocked him, belittled him, made fun of him, condescended him – and Ed did not feel the urge to hit something. That in itself told him of Kevin Mauler's strength, and that scared him a little. He had no idea Riley's father was like this.

Before Ed could assess his situation fully, he felt Blackburn's fingers wrapping around his upper arm. As Ed looked up at him, Blackburn began pulling him to a door at the left of the room. Ed yanked himself free. With a strong glare fixed on Blackburn, Ed's fingers curled into tight fists. "What are you planning?" He growled, his suspicion clear.

The man standing in front of Ed rolled his eyes. "Calm yourself, boy," He started, stepping toward Ed to speak in lower tones, "I assume you're here for her, yes?"

Comments surprising him, Ed leaned away with wider eyes. "I…"

Sighing, Blackburn gave a small frown. "No one gets to her unless they're part of the Rebellion. You included," He explained through narrowed eyes.

Ed almost stumbled backwards yet again. His fists loosened even more as he tried searching Blackburn's face for deceit. There was no way this man was willing to help. "You're putting me in the Rebellion?" He asked in surprise.

Blackburn shook his head. "I'm putting you in training," He corrected. Ed twitched a little at how smug he sounded, but ignored it for the time being. "Unless, of course, you want to walk away now. Just don't expect to see her," Blackburn commented, crossing his leather clad arms over one another.

It kind of amazed Ed how even when Blackburn was offering to help someone, he was still a smug, blackmailing bastard about it. Taking in a deep breath to cool down, Ed gave him a subtle nod. "Fine, I'll… I'll join the Rebellion," he muttered out, all the while knowing he had no clue as to what he was getting himself into.

The smirk that appeared on Blackburn's face was condescending and arrogant. It pissed Ed off. "You mean you'll try. We don't even know if we want you, Elric," He mocked as he turned to the door he was about to lead Ed through. Ed's fingers curled into a fist, but he held back his anger as best he could, instead following Blackburn through the door.

The hallway behind it was just as Ed suspected. It was long, far too long to fit in the narrow house he'd entered. All the houses along the street were just covers – probably used film sets the Rebellion managed to collect over time to hide their real building. Everything in sight looked clean, with white walls, a smooth white tile floor, and lights strung up all the way down the wall. There were several doors to Ed's right, many of which were closed. The few that weren't looked in at personal chambers, where one or two soldiers were residing, watching Blackburn and Ed pass by with curiosity.

Ed suddenly felt confined, a ball of anxiety rising in the pit of his stomach. He began to regret his rash decisions, realizing he was in over his head even more than he first thought. With each door that passed, he felt worse. Blackburn's boots tapped on the floor, echoing in the hallway and ringing through Ed's ears, making him feel sick. After several moments of silence, Blackburn stopped at the end of the hall, where one door sat in front of him, and one at his right. He turned to the door at his right and opened it, walking into the room without glancing back to see if Ed still followed.

A moment of hesitation passed through Ed. He could leave then, if he wanted to, and not look back. But only then, could he. If he walked through those doors, he knew he was in this for the long run. A part of him told him to turn back while he still could, that he was about to throw himself straight into the lion's den. A much larger part of him demanded he continue, that Riley was connected to this organization, that if he felt he was in danger, then Riley surely was, and he couldn't walk away knowing he could try and protect her. And then there was a tiny voice in the back of his head, telling him Riley did not need his protection. That she was strong, and she was just fine without him, and it would be better for him to run back home.

_"Just stop! Do you have any idea how hard I tried to move on? I don't want to hear about it!"_

Ed almost winced as Riley's voice played through his mind. No, she wasn't as strong as he thought she was. She wasn't as strong as _she_ thought she was. He hated it, that she was a world away from him, and he could do nothing to help her. The least he could do was be here, in this world, for her. Right?

With a deep scowl, he walked into the room. He was welcomed by the sight of an infirmary, which looked even brighter and cleaner than the hallway had. There were counters lining the back wall, with a large window placed over them, looking out into what appeared to be a large training field. A table sat in the middle of the room and a cot was folded up in the right corner closest to Ed, with a desk by the wall to the right, which was scattered with papers, folders, office supplies, and a desk lamp which sat on the edge. The counters themselves were bare of objects, though Ed was sure the drawers underneath the counter tops told a different story. A narrow refrigerator sat in the far right corner, in between the counters and the desk, and it hummed with power. The left wall was bare, aside from some free-standing equipment Ed didn't want to know the uses of.

The woman from before, Moa, sat at the desk, scribbling away on a thick notepad as she muttered to herself. Ed took the time to examine her closer now that she wasn't glaring at him with disdain. She looked fragile, despite the faint muscles in her arms and legs. If it weren't for her long hair being a heavy mix of light brown and white, and the aging to her hands, Ed would have assumed she was much younger than she was.

Blackburn cleared his throat. The woman tossed her free hand over her head, waving him off as she continue to write. "Yes, yes, I know you're there," She snapped, before poking the notepad with the last of her writing. Placing her pencil down, she leaned back into her chair and turned to look up at them. A scowl replaced her neutral expression when she spotted Ed. "What's he still doing here, Radley?"

Ed took the initiative to speak up, looking across the room at the woman. "I'm here to join the Rebellion," He told her with a determined tone.

Moa snorted, resting her elbows onto the arms of the chair. She crossed one leg over the other, eying the boy. "Maybe you'll learn some manners while you're here," She commented before turning her gaze back toward Blackburn. With an exasperated sigh, she nodded to him. "I'll give him an examination. Wait outside," She said as she pushed herself to her feet, smoothing out her skirt. Shooting Ed a warning look, Blackburn turned on his heel and exited the room, leaving Ed with the doctor. Moa pointed to the table in the middle of the room as she pushed her chair in, saying, "Sit up on the table, Kid. There's a box underneath it if you need some help."

Twitching, Ed glared at the back of her head as he hopped up onto the table. He rested his elbows on his knees, watching as Moa slipped on her coat and grabbed her notebook. She turned toward him, dropping her notebook onto the table beside him as she flicked her pencil between her fingers. She moved with speed and precision despite her aging, managing to wrap a cloth around his arm with one hand as she wrote notes with the other.

"You want to join the Rebellion, huh?"

Ed looked toward her as the cuff on his arm did its job, tightening around him. "Yeah, what of it?" He snapped a little quicker and firmer than he intended.

She didn't let him go with it. She yanked the cuff from his arm once she had her information, glaring down at him. "It's 'Yes, ma'am,' and, 'Why do you ask?'" She corrected, hissing through her teeth.

With a large scowl, he muttered blankly, "Yes, ma'am, why do you ask?"

He wasn't sure, but he could have sworn he saw the corners of her lips twitch upward. "You're getting better," She remarked as she put away the sphygmomanometer. She turned back toward him, "Now you just need to learn not to put your elbows on the table and keep your mouth closed when it's full." He said nothing to this as she scribbled more notes into her notebook. He glanced over at it, noticing a small profile of his details, written under his name. "Why?"

"What?" He asked, startled out of his own thoughts as he looked back up to the woman, whose eyes were still on her notebook.

Moa sighed, shooting him a sharp expression before turning back to her work. "Why do you want to join the Rebellion?" She questioned, before pausing in her writing to look up at him fully and examine his features.

Ed went quiet. He had not planned of a story to tell other people. Blackburn already knew the truth, but that wasn't something that was meant to be spread around. Thinking back to the conversation he'd overheard in the bar, he came up with a quick excuse. "The Nazi party's not going to end well. I want to help stop it," He replied.

The woman rose a thin brow. "This isn't going to be all fun and games, Kid. You better make sure you're prepared," She warned him.

A darker look crossed over Ed's features as he looked away from the woman. Nostalgia rushed through him as he tightened his fists. "Yeah… I'm pretty prepared," He muttered under his breath. They both knew it was to himself more than anything.

Crossing her arms, Moa leaned against the table as she nodded to his arms. "I imagine those fake limbs put that sour look on your face?" She piped up, a knowing look on her own face. Ed turned toward her with surprise, but she pursed her lips. "I know fake body parts when I see 'em, Kid."

"…" Frowning, Ed nodding, flexing the fingers of his synthetic arm. "Yeah, this arm and leg may have something to do with it," He mumbled in response, not caring how vague he sounded.

Moa watched him for several minutes with an unreadable expression. It was clear to her that Ed was far more experienced than most his age. Probably more than half of those in the Rebellion. Finally, she nodded and stood away from the table, uncrossing her arms in order to fold her notebook shut. "Well I'm done, here. Take the door on your right when you leave. Radley will spar with you and I'll assess your physical state from here," She explained as she moved her notebook toward one of the counters under the large window. "And don't get too beat up, Kid. We don't do hospital drop-off."

Ed's eyes widened as she spoke, looking between her, the window, and the exit. He was… Going to spar with Blackburn?

Anxiety, anticipation, and a little bit of panic ran through Ed's veins. He had known from the beginning when he caught the sparkle in Blackburn's eyes that there was something he was planning. This is what it was.

* * *

><p>Can you tell I threw in 'sphygmomanometer' for the hell of it? Cause I did.<p>

Be Responsible. **Don't Flame and Drive**! _Rawr_.


	6. Six

Asfghj- Guys. I totally wrote this chapter in one day. It took me four hours and that is the shortest amount of time I have _ever_ written a chapter in. I'm totally proud of myself right now.

**The Lovely Daaaarlings!**

**SIFProductionsdesu-yo:** Thank you! And ahaha, Hetalia references. =w= Regarding your second review; BRO, BRO, BRO. You need to be made aware that I had not written a single sentence of this chapter until I read that review. It is because of _you_ and your birthday. So Happy Birthday! I hope you enjoy the chapter! I threw in a 'hello' to you. How old have you turned, eh?

**Guest:** (I'm thinking you're katsekala, but I don't want to assume this.) Indeed, Ed's become a bit a lover boy! xD

**cmbgoncrazy:** I'm really excited about writing scenes between Ed and Blackburn, especially that spar. It's going to be intense. Riley's got her own adventure going on as well!  
>AHAHAHA BECAUSE I'M THE WRITING GODDESS. Seriously, I came down from Asgard and everything.<br>I noticed that button's gone! It's still really weird to me. ;-;

**Leslie Amarilis:** Thank you! I'm glad you like it!

**Want to Be a Lovely Daaaarling? Review! Bwahaha…**

Happy birthday to SIFProductionsdesu-yo! Go wish her a happy birthday and thank her for getting me off my ass as beautifully as she did.

Alrighty, ladies and gents, I don't own FMA or its official content. Riley, Shiori, Daisuke, Tesser Hills, and that little butt Jonah all belong to me. (Does anyone read these things? I've given spoilers in them so many times…)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six:<strong>_  
>The First Day<em>

The scorching heat of Tesser Hills was a lot like that of the remnants of Ishval that the Elrics and I had witnessed. It was hot and it was dry, which made the small town all the more uncomfortable.

Tesser Hills was a city you didn't vacation in. It was a place you passed through on your travels or a place you stumbled upon by sheer misfortune. Being home to the largest market in Amestris, stalls and venders lined every road in town, cluttered with products of varying use. You could go down one road and by the end of it, have two bags of clothes, a large basket of fruits and vegetables, two bread sticks, and maybe a lamp and fold-up table. If you didn't come with money in your wallet, you came with an armful of junk to sell, or you were a thief.

I loved Tesser Hills, and for many reasons. My first trip was when I was six, with my parents, and every month afterward warranted another memorable visit to the town. I remember seeing a man lug a dresser, a bed and a loveseat behind him once while his wife added to the pile of purchases, and I also remember finding some of my favorite fascinations there. The prettiest doll I'd ever seen became my best friend at six, an intricately designed hairbrush was the center of my attention was I was seven, a blue satin dress I found there when I was eight haunted my dreams, and gloves with the most beautiful stitching of a transmutation circle caught my eye when I was nine.

The day I'd gotten those gloves was the last time I'd gone to Tesser Hills, and it was one of the last times I saw my parents. They had left to Ishval no more than a day afterward, and were gone ever since. Despite the nostalgia of it all, I found myself in a better mood walking across the station platform at Tesser Hills, even with Daisuke following behind me, griping about Shiori.

I turned on my heel once I'd walked far enough away from the train, shooting Daisuke with a sharp look. He hadn't quieted down since he found out about Shiori in cargo hold, and I was beginning to wish _I_ had gone to the cargo myself. "She's fine, Daisuke, probably safer than we were," I told him before looking past his head.

Scanning the crowd that was leaving the train, I spotted train workers making way to the cargo hold. Without saying more to Daisuke, I slipped by him and rushed toward the cargo hold, realizing that the innocent workers had no idea of the raging, sword-wielding twelve year old behind the doors of the cart. I didn't have a chance to warn them before the doors burst open, a gust of wind knocking the workers onto their backs.

Shiori was panting as she stood at the exit of the cargo, looking through the gathering group of concerned citizens. Once she spotted Daisuke and I (or more precisely, _me_), she jumped out of the train and pushed through the crowd in front of her. They backed out of her way as she approached, and I could hear Daisuke behind me muttering a small prayer.

"You think you're funny, do you?" Shiori yelled up at me once she reached us, her fists clenched at her sides and her teeth gritting together. "Do you have _any_ idea what it's like being stuffed in cargo with sheep and chickens?"

I nodded in response, slipping my hands into the pockets of my jeans. "I imagine it's rather noisy with you in there," I told her in an even tone.

Perhaps if she were older, the glare Shiori sent me would have been more intimidating, but Daisuke's groan spoke well of the immaturity we were displaying in public. "Can we just continue our trip?" He asked, pleading the both of us to see some shred of sense and stop glaring each other down.

Shiori was the one to give in, looking ahead of her and grumbling as she shoved past us. "Let's just get this over with," She growled out under her breath as she stormed out of the train station. I turned to leave as well, and saw Daisuke glaring at me. He sighed when I shrugged at him, shaking his head as he too left the station.

The train station at Tesser Hills was the one relatively calm place in town so upon leaving it, you would be greeted with loud noises, a lot of people, and tons of sights. Daisuke and I were expecting it, but this was Shiori's first time being at Tesser Hills.

Her eyes grew in size as her shoulders eased, her anger replaced with surprise. "Whoa," She whispered before looking toward Daisuke and me. "Don't tell me we came for grocery shopping."

As Daisuke chuckled, I shook my head, examining the sights in front of me. Stalls ran down the road, several of them selling fresh foods; exotic fruits, home-grown vegetables, and baked goods hot off the oven. The smells wafting through the air was enough to make a man break his fasting. "This is only a part of it," I mumbled toward Shiori, knowing she was too busy ogling to really hear me anyway. We began to walk down the road, Daisuke nudging Shiori to bring her attention back to her immediate surroundings. She leaped forward to catch up, and continued to look around once she had.

"_Freshly baked pies, five different flavors!_"

"_Goto_ _apples and oranges, the freshest you can get 'em this far out of West City!_"

Shiori grinned, watching as people waved their hands through the air, yelling at random citizens. I was just as content, walking at a slow place next to the girl. Daisuke tapped my shoulder and I looked back at him in question. His eyes were glued to a fruits vendor. "I'm going to get us some _healthy_ snacks and meet up with you later, alright?" He asked, finally turning his gaze down at me.

"They have swords!" Shiori exclaimed, her instincts causing her to reach out and wrap her fingers around my wrist. I had no time to reply to Daisuke before the girl dragged me down the road. Daisuke laughed (though I was sure it was at _me_ and not at Shiori) and I stumbled a bit, trying to keep up with Shiori's speed.

I stood behind her as she examined the blades displayed out for everyone to see. The vendor spoke with her in excited tones, pleased someone was as interested as he was in his creations. They rattled off facts each of them knew about wielding a blade and I was a little proud to see that Shiori knew just as much, if not more, than the weapons master she was speaking with. After a few moments of conversation, I tuned the two out.

Among the chatter of the people around me, there was another sound. It was rhythmic – whether a group of instruments or multiple people singing together off-key, I wasn't able to make it out. It was warm, though, and upbeat, like a church choir. I could tell that if I saw this group, I would not see tears or grief, I would see happiness. Turning around at a slow speed, I tried locating the source of what grabbed my attention.

Finally I found it. It was across the street, behind all the stands facing my direction, and on the porch of someone's home. A small group of people, all familiar with one another, gathered around a round table near their front door, singing together. A girl nearing my age sat at the table as the object of their affection, and a small round cake was placed atop the table in front of her. Her embarrassed smiles and the others' gazes told me enough of the situation. It was her birthday.

I watched them for a few seconds, taking note of her parents who hugged her and spoke to her in what I assumed were kind tones, and her friends who laughed at each other's jokes. Despite the heat of Tesser Hills and the crowds of shoppers, they were managing to hold a nice gathering for the girl.

"Thief!"

The sudden scream that echoed down the road silenced everyone – the vendors who were shouting about their products, the people wandering, and the small birthday party across the street. Short of a fatal natural disaster, _thief_ was the worst siren that could go off in Tesser Hills. It was also the most common one. Upbeat attitude or no, the people who lived in Tesser Hills stressed about thieves on a daily basis, so hearing a man screaming it at the top of his lungs was not much of a surprise, but was sure as hell a downer.

I looked to the right of me, spotting Shiori and the weapons master behind me do the same, but with more curiosity. The crowds of people in the road hunched together, backing up against the stands, not wanting to risk being tangled up with a thief. This provided us with a clear view of a jewelry stand, where the vendor and the victimized customer had displeased glares plastered across their faces.

Their glares were aimed at a boy racing down the path the crowds had given him. He wore a jacket with a hood that covered his face, and his build was lean and of average height. He was most likely an inch or so taller than Daisuke. I couldn't be sure as he leaned himself over due to the way he was running.

One other thing I knew about Tesser Hills, was that everyone there were pretty much cowards. Thieves ran amok because no one ever tried interfering and stopping them. Which meant, unless I wanted to feel bad about it later, I would have to do something and handle the situation with my own two hands.

With a small sigh at those thoughts, I reached back and, grabbing her collar, shoved Shiori into the middle of the path. She led out a girlish yelp as she stumbled into it, almost toppling over before gaining full balance. Her eyes were wide as she realized what I'd done and how close the thief was getting, but unlike Shiori, I had noticed the thief slow down. It wasn't by much, but it was enough to show me he was surprised, and worried about running into a child.

I had to give credit to Shiori, who moved her feet apart and bent her knees, ready to brace for impact and fight. Her hand rested over her sword, but she didn't unsheathe it just yet. The thief began to regain what speed he lost and I could hear people around me gasping as Shiori brought her left leg forward. She bent further, grabbing the hilt of her sword as she glared up at the boy, and began to unsheathe her weapon. Her sword came out and she swung it around to aim at the thief and _persuade_ him to stop, but his next actions surprised all of us.

Pulling a slip of paper from his jacket pocket, he held it against palm and, once near Shiori, brought his palm down against the blade. The paper lit up and I realized he was carrying around mini transmutation circles as the sword transformed into a chain with large links. His fingers wrapped around the end of it and he yanked the chain, tossing a shocked Shiori into the air. He let go of the chain once it had done what he wanted, but he left his arm in mid-air. Shiori, instead of tumbling to the ground on her head or her neck, fell into his arm, and once her movement was slowed a drastic amount, he lowered his arm and continued running.

Shiori stumbled, but kept to her feet as she glared at the back of the thief. "Since when did thieves learn _that_?"

"You failed that horribly," I muttered to her in passing. She turned her glare toward me, about to yell at me for pushing her into that situation, but I had taken off without giving her the chance to. "Hey, get back here!" I yelled after the thief.

It wasn't long after I began running that I felt the burn of my lungs, as though I'd been running for hours. It confused me. I hadn't trained as much as I used to, but I wasn't _that_ out of shape, was I? There was no reason for my body to start protesting as quickly as it had. With the dizzying shake of my head, I dismissed it. Tesser Hills was hot. That was why – the heat got to me and limited what I could do. This only made me more surprised by this thief, who was clad in a thick-clothed, long sleeved jacket.

Soon enough, we were beginning to reach a section of the road where the people hadn't heard the shouts of a thief. They still walked down the road with interest in the stands and I cursed under my breath. If I couldn't catch him before we got to the crowds, I would have lost him for good.

Upon spotting a familiar face emerge from the crowd of people, I perked up. "Daisuke!" I shouted over the faint chatter of the environment. He looked toward me and a frown pulled down at his lips when he saw me chasing someone toward him. "Don't let him past you!" I could see the thief shake his head, though I wasn't sure if it was frustration or amusement. Either way, it urged me on. An expression of understanding reached Daisuke's face as he prepped his own stance. It wasn't as perfected as Shiori's, and I began to hope it was enough this time to stop this guy.

The thief reached Daisuke in no time, no feelings of worry impeding his speed like it did with Shiori. He lifted his left arm, angling his shoulder and aiming it toward Daisuke's torso. As he ran at Daisuke, he threw his arm out, intending to knock him over and continue onward. Daisuke would not have this. A dark look flashed across his features as he grabbed the thief's forearm. He pulled on it just enough to bring the thief stumbling backwards, and Daisuke kicked up his leg, sending it into the stomach of the thief at his side.

Going to the ground, the thief broke his fall and slipped out another transmutation circle. By this time, I was close enough to do something about it. Clapping, I lunged to the ground, slamming my hands down without much thought as to the people around me. The ground around the thief rumbled before shooting up, forming a rock hard hand that held the boy in place.

Immediately his eyes were on me. "You didn't need a circle…," He muttered, watching as Daisuke and I reached the front of the hand.

I crossed my arms over my chest, sending him a firm look, even though I couldn't see his face from under the hood. "And you didn't need to join your hands together," I replied, "Show my _your_ trick and I'll show you mine."

Hood or no, I could make out the arrogant snort he gave as he looked away. I ignored it best I could, walking toward him to snatch a golden necklace I noticed dangling from his gloved hand. His head snapped back in my direction as I took it. "Give that back!" He yelled at me.

"It wasn't yours in the first place," Daisuke told him.

Seconds later, Shiori came running toward us. Once she reached us, she glared at me. "You _really_ like to piss me off, don't you?" She spat, to which I nodded, my lips twitching upward.

I handed her the necklace. "Here," I began, motioning my head toward the direction she had come from, "Go take this to that man it was stolen from."

Dropping the necklace into her hands, I watched as her eyes went wide. "Are you kidding? I just ran all the way here and now you're sending me back?" She yelled, looking up at me with incredulous distaste. Once again, I nodded. She let out a loud huff, shaking her head as she march back off, leaving the thief with Daisuke and me. I ignored Daisuke's pointed look as I turned toward the thief, reaching up to yank off the hood that had been getting on my nerves since I saw it.

The boy looked to be Daisuke's and my age. He had a long face, with a squared jaw and a wide chin. His wide but entirely proportionate nose had a slight upturn, his lips were bottom-heavy, and his deep-set eyes were a dark green. Brown hair, short and scruffy, ran down the back of his neck and ragged bangs toyed with his eye sight, I was sure. His skin was tanned, but I had a feeling it was naturally a lighter, peach color.

"Don't you know not to take what isn't yours?" I asked him, raising a small brow. He seemed a bit too old and a little too clever for snatching objects in broad daylight and running. Or maybe I was just hanging around all the weird teenagers. Not all of them had auto-mail limbs or years of martial arts and stealth training. That was a good point – it was probably just cause everyone _I_ knew was weird.

He glared down at me, his hands resting on the large rock fingers that gripped at him. "I needed the money," He growled, jerking his head in the direction of which he came, "That guy had plenty of it, he could have bought himself a new necklace and a pretty little dress to go with it."

Daisuke crossed his arms over his chest, replying with, "That doesn't make it any less criminal of you. What did you need the money for?"

As I looked to Daisuke with furrowed brows, wondering why the hell he wanted to know, the boy voiced my thoughts. "Why do you want to know? It's none of your business," He spat. The expression on Daisuke's face matched that of a scolding mother. I began to realize the direction this conversation was taking and, suddenly, I wished I'd let the thief go. Giving in, the thief sighed and frowned down at us both. "I need a train ticket to Rush Valley. You happy now?"

_No, I'm not happy at all with this turn of events_, I'd thought to myself as I turned to face Daisuke. He glanced toward me and I started shaking my head in protest, willing him to stop before he said it and gave me an actual headache instead of the imaginary one I had just thinking about it. With a small and decisive 'hmph,' he looked back to the thief. "We can take you to Rush Valley."

The boy's shouts of "What?" mixed in with my exclamation of, "Oh, come on!" The corner of Daisuke's lips twitched upward and I knew from that moment that this was both his version of charity and his idea of revenge for Shiori being stuck in cargo.

Daisuke nodded his head. "If you want to get to Rush Valley, you can come with us. Otherwise Riley will babysit you until we get to official authorities," He explained, shrugging his shoulders. I looked over my shoulder at the thief, who looked down at me. We made eye contact, the both of us debating over which was worse – to be stuck with each other for multiple days or to fight against one another for half of a day in Tesser Hills heat.

The sighs we gave let Daisuke know he won. Smug bastard.

. . .

Plopping down onto the hotel bed, I let out a loud sigh of comfort. Between the train ride to Tesser Hills and the heat and _him_, that damn thief, a nice soft bed was just what I needed to cool my nerves. It didn't help that I still felt short-winded. If it weren't for the heat of the town, I probably would have been more concerned about it, but I couldn't bring myself to care about the shortness of breath. All that mattered to me was the cool hotel room.

"How unlady-like."

My eyes snapped open to welcome the white ceiling above me. _Him_. It had taken Daisuke and I longer than necessary to find out that the thief's name was Jonah, and he never stopped being annoying. His tongue was sharp, his attitude harsh. He was the definition of asshole. I craned my neck, turning my head to look over at the boy who had sunken into a chair in the corner of the room. His jacket was long since removed, arms crossed over his navy colored, v-neck clad chest. The sneer he was sending me made me want to smash his head through the window.

I scoffed at him, looking back to the ceiling before closing my eyes. "Like a thief's opinion is worth much," I spat back in response. I could almost _hear_ his flinch and while in any other situation, I would have felt bad, he was too much of a pain in my side to feel anything but pleasure at the reactions I got from calling him a thief. Daisuke asked me to stop, but there was no way in hell I would. At least not for a while.

"Will you _both_ knock it off? You're acting like babies," Shiori grumbled under her breath as she exited out of the bathroom, a white towel wrapped in her wet hair. Her PJs were simple; a pair of white shorts and a brown thin-strapped top. She walked across the room, sitting down into a chair by the table to unravel the towel from her hair.

Groaning, I shoved my boots off and climbed to the pillows where I let myself crash down. Daisuke had left a few minutes earlier to scour some food for all of us, but I wasn't so sure I'd be able to stay awake, or conscious. I was exhausted, and as I smashed my face into the pillow, I was sure it was obvious. I could hear a faint snort from Jonah's direction and I lifted my hand, thrusting my fist into the air toward him. "Walk into this," I said simply, my voice muffled but still clear through the pillow I was laying into.

"Yeah, 'cause that will work," Shiori snorted out. I waved her off before wrapping my arms around the pillow and closing my eyes. The sound of her brushing her hair was the last thing I heard as I faded away to sleep…

…_Opening my eyes, I pulled myself up from a bed I didn't fall asleep in, and looked around. The bed, the desk and chair set, the bookcase, the pictures hanging on the wall_… _All of it hinted at where I was. I groaned, shaking my head. "Great," I muttered, pushing myself to my feet and out of the bed, "This again." I walked to the door, thankful that at least this time, I could make out all the details and colors of the Rockbell home. I grumbled under my breath as I walked down the hall and toward the stairs, my bare feet silent against the wooden floors._

_As much as I complained about it, a part of me was relishing in the idea that I'd see Ed again._

* * *

><p>Anyone notice the biblical foreshadowing? Hurr...<p>

Be Responsible. **Don't Flame and Drive**! _Rawr_.


	7. Sieben

Hey, guys. I would ramble up here but **there is some important news **at the end of the chapter. Please read it. Thank you.

**The Lovely Daaaarlings!**

**Ausumist:** They will! In_…_ The next chapter, cause this one is pathetically short. Hah. Ha_… Sorry._

**Katsekala:** Mwahahaha, cliffhangers to the extreme! I'm trying to alternate between Riley and Ed to keep things balanced. I'm glad you liked the chapter!

**Leli-chan1156:** Thank you! Prepared to be notsoamazed! Ahahaha!

**SIFProductionsdesu-yo:** Well then, Happy Thirteenth Birthday! I hope you had fun. And thank you! I'm glad you think I'm awesome, hurrhurr.

**Angelic Toaster:** Haha, thank you! I'm glad you think so, it's really flattering!

**Rockerchic221:** Wow, someone's thinking of my characters because of music. That's really freaking awesome she was on your mind. And it does kind of describe her, yeah? I never connected those two before. And ahaha, I'm not sure yet! I know I'll be writing to the end of the movie, but I can't say for certain if I'll go past it. Thank you so much! (Ahahaha, I would kind of love to see what people would come up with for TSA fanfiction.)

**Mizunou:** D: Yeah, FF seemed to have a burp with chapter five. I normally get an email immediately, every time I update a story (like _I_ need to be alerted - "Guess what, you just came out with a new chapter!") and I didn't get an email until the next day. And yay, I'm glad someone's interested in how things will turn out with Jonah. I'm enjoying his character so far.

**NinjaPanda(Rei13Reaper):** Ahahaha, I really love the dynamic between Riley and Shiori, so it's nice to see other people seem to enjoy them, too. And I am! Every chapter, I have to hold back from just writing, "And then Riley showed up and they were happy THE END." Thank you! And hmm, that sounds kind of weird to me. I'm not an expert when it comes to Amnesia though. I would think their personality might be different, but I don't think they would have the same goals as they did beforehand – at least, until they regained their memory. Your memories and experiences shape your goals, don't they? (Now I'm rambling, haha.)

**kayleebaby13:** Thank you! I was _really_ worried about doing the switching chapters. I've seen it done before and more often than not, I don't like it myself, but I honestly couldn't see any other way for this sequel.

**StarTrail:** I'm glad you liked it! (And I'm sorry this next chapter is so short, blech.)

**Want to Be a Lovely Daaaarling? Review! Bwahaha...**

This chapter _is_ short and while I apologize for that, the reason is at the end of the chapter. Again, **please read that**.

I do not own FMA or the movie. I own Riley and the Rebellion, and those a part of the Rebellion. Yup.

* * *

><p><em>Focus<em>

Ed was not ready.

He stared across the training field at Blackburn, who stood with his usual air of arrogance about him as he slipped off his jacket. He tossed it toward the side, returning Ed's stare with his own amused one.

Ed was not ready for this at all.

What he thought would be a simple test turned out to be a health inspection and a fight. A fight with Blackburn. The man was skilled, and Ed had never had an actual fight with him. If anything, he stepped in the middle of Blackburn and Riley. _Riley_. That's who he was doing this for. He needed to see her and this was the only way.

Taking in a deep breath, Ed prepared himself for what was about to come. He looked to Blackburn and all the memories of Riley being hurt by him rushed through his mind, all topped by one of the last moments he saw Riley – covered in blood and wide eyed. The scene had terrified him then, when he first thought the blood was hers, and it still scared him. Blackburn had caused that.

_Remember that, and we'll be fine_, Ed thought to himself in a repeated mantra.

"Scared of making the first move?" Blackburn questioned with a smirk, "You'll never see your girlfriend at this rate." Glaring up at the man, Ed reacted without much thought. He swung his left fist forward, and it was caught with ease by Blackburn. He twisted it and Ed was forced to bend over. "Those emotions will get you nowhere," Blackburn scoffed, kicking Ed in the back.

Ed stumbled forward but he caught himself and spun around, still glaring. "So I should be a cold-blooded killer like you?" He spat, running toward Blackburn.

For a split second, Blackburn appeared affected by the remark. He recovered and sighed, side-stepping another of Ed's swings. He grabbed the back of the boy's jacket and tossed him to the ground. Ed caught himself with ease, turning to face Blackburn once more. "What's wrong, Elric? Can you not handle yourself without your alchemy?" Blackburn asked him, smirking.

"Shut up_…_," He growled, throwing his fist again. Blackburn dodged it, and Ed swung his leg toward him.

Blackburn caught Ed's leg, but the shake in his arm told Ed that he was beginning to fall into an equal pace with Blackburn. Regardless, Blackburn maintained a smirk and a mischievous glint in his eye. "Or is it that you have nothing to fight for anymore?"

"Shut up," Ed repeated louder, pulling away from Blackburn.

He tried to create distance between them, but Blackburn had wrapped his fingers around Ed's ankle. He yanked Ed toward him, aiming his fist for the boy's face. Ed's eyes widened, but he twisted his body around just enough to ready his right fist. The two came closer and once at arm's length, Ed's fist made contact with Blackburn's stomach. He held nothing back from the punch, a part of him hoping he maybe cracked a rib or two.

The two stumbled backward, Blackburn grasping at his bruising stomach and resisting the cough that urged out of his throat. Chuckling, Blackburn straightened his back and looked to Ed with amusement. He looked pained, but he looked amused. "You're getting there."

Ed glared. The two fought for several minutes – Ed was not sure how long it was exactly. Blackburn had the upper hand, being taller, more experienced, and trained under the Maulers as he was. Nonetheless, Ed was persistent and not as phased as Blackburn by being hit. He _had_ to do this, and Blackburn couldn't win this fight.

Much to Ed's dismay, Blackburn _was_ winning this fight, and he was using psychological warfare just as much as physical advantages. He taunted Ed, about Riley, about Al, about himself, and it was all getting to Ed. A part of him knew Blackburn was merely trying to ruin his focus, but another part of him didn't care. He just wanted to hurt Blackburn. It was becoming less and less about a spar to enter the Rebellion, and instead, a fight to take revenge on _all_ of things Blackburn had ever done in his life.

Ed exhausted himself in that fight with Blackburn, both physically and emotionally. With every swing, his anger came out. He would soon have none left to use as fuel.

Blackburn fared much better than the boy, but he was tiring. Where he had been hit was bruised, and where he hadn't been touched at all, he was sore. Ed had strength and power behind his attacks but no focus. It wasn't difficult to avoid them, but once you _were_ hit, it affected you. Yet he pushed on, throwing insults left and right. Not throwing a single swing in return.

After many swings, kicks and petty insults, Ed found himself on the ground. Blackburn held a hand at his throat, another hand curled around Ed's shirt collar. He was not choking Ed, but Ed felt confined and that seemed just as uncomfortable to him. The two panted as they glared at one another. Blackburn began his antics once more. "You're _alone_, Elric. You have no one and you're trying desperately to find a shred of familiarity."

Ed couldn't stand it. "Shut up!" He yelled, jerking upward with an intent to ring Blackburn's neck.

Blackburn was quicker. Reinforcing his grip on the boy, he slammed Ed back to the ground immediately. The breath in Ed's lungs left him and as he tried to regain it, Blackburn snapped. "Face it! It's why you're going to ridiculous links to find a _girl_! Just give it up, Elric – you couldn't protect her the first time, what makes you think you can now?" He yelled down at the Elric boy.

Twisting his arm to press it against Blackburn's chest, Ed's adrenaline and rage kicked in and he shoved Blackburn off him, reversing their position. Now with his arm pressed against Blackburn's neck, Ed pushed against it without hesitation. "I said _shut up_!" He screamed, "You don't know anything!"

Slow clapping echoed in the area, and Ed looked toward the source in surprise. The woman standing there was not who Ed expected to see.

Her skin, like most of the people Ed had seen at the dojo, was tanned from working under the sun, but she still looked fairer than most. Her hair was a light blond and brushed against the tops of her shoulders. She was tall, almost as tall as Kevin Mauler.

And her blue eyes were just like Riley's. Ed stared at her for a moment, feeling lost. In her own way, this woman looked a lot like Riley, in fact.

"It's rude to stare," Blackburn spat from under Ed. The boy blinked at hearing the voice bring him away from his thoughts and with a light blush, he jumped off Blackburn and tore his gaze away from the woman in front of him.

Blackburn sat up, rubbing at his neck, as the woman made her way toward them. "It looks like you found some talent, Radley," She spoke, a small but soft smile directed at Ed.

Looking over his shoulder at her, Blackburn nodded. "Only effective with dumb luck or focus," He commented.

Ed glared at him for this, but the woman chuckled and placed a hand on Blackburn's shoulder. "Sometimes dumb luck trumps focus, don't you think? Go see Moa," She told him. Without argue, the man nodded and stood from the ground. He sent Ed one last glance before leaving for the infirmary.

"But_… _W-Wait, do I pass?" Ed asked, watching Blackburn walk away in a mixture of painful curiosity and regret. He had wanted to hurt the man a bit more before the fight ended. Blackburn owed him that, at least.

Looking down at him, the woman motioned toward him, "Stand up, Son," She replied. He turned his attention to her before scrambling to his feet. Even once he stood, she still towered over him. "You want this badly, do you?" She asked him, clasping her hands together in front of her.

Ed was quiet for a moment, before nodding. "I do," He answered, eying her with a bit of suspicion.

She smiled once more, and Ed felt a pain – it was Riley's smile all over again. He wanted to look away from her, but he found it was too difficult. She stepped closer to him and held out a hand for him to shake. "Clairessant Mauler, at your service. Call me Claire," She introduced.

His eyes widened a bit. "You're_…_?" That explained it. How he didn't figure it out, he wasn't sure, but now it made sense. She was Riley's mother. Taking her hand, Ed shook it gingerly, "I, uh, I'm_…_ Edward Elric, Ma'am."

This was odd, even for him. He didn't think much of Riley's parents or what they were like and now, they had both introduced themselves to him in the same day. Claire seemed not to notice his surprise as she lowered her hand. "Welcome to the dojo, Mister Elric," She replied, nodding to him in both greeting and sign of approval. "Come with me – I'll show you to your room."

She had begun to walk off, but Ed was still processing her words. He made it. He was a member of the Rebellion. Running to catch up to Claire, he fell into pace at her side. "I_…_ I actually have a place, not far from here," He told her, not believing a room at the dojo was necessary.

Claire shook her head. "Then you're luckier than most of our students. No matter – every member has a room. Look at it as a home away from home," She explained, entering one of the hallways that circled the training arena. Ed was quick to follow behind her, looking around at the marble flooring and white walls. It looked as dull as the hall leading to the medical room, but the windows brought in much more light in this section of the building.

Leading Ed to a door many feet down the hall, Claire stopped and turned to face him. "Here you are. Be respectful of your roommate, and your fellow members – and we won't have any problems," She told him, her tone sounding much like a warning mother.

Ed nodded, smiling a bit. "Yes, Ma'am." She returned the smile and nodded, before walking past him. He watched her leave, still stuck on the fact she looked so much like Riley. With the shake of his head, entered the room without much more thought.

The room was small, but large enough. There were two twin-sized beds, one in each far corner, pushed against the left and right walls. In between the two beds, against the far wall, were two narrow dressers. On other side of the door, a desk sat. The one on the right had a picture frame sitting in the corner in front of a lamp and the surface was covered in papers and letters, as well as a pencil caddy. The one on the left was bare, aside from a table lamp and a folder sitting on the middle of the desk.

A boy was already laying atop the bed to the right, reading a book. Upon hearing Ed enter, he looked over and smiled once he realized it was another member. He sat up from the bed, closing his book as he nodded to Ed. "So you're my new roommate, I take it?" He had a pointed chin and narrow eyes, and his black hair was in a pony-tail behind him, his hair resting just over his shoulders when wrapped together. His bangs swayed at the sides of his eyes, a bit messy.

Ed nodded, taking in the boy's appearance. He looked familiar, but Ed could not place it. "Yeah, I am. Edward Elric," He introduced, stepping further into the room and shutting the door behind him.

The boy leaned forward and reached his hand out to Ed. "Daisuke Kuroda," He replied in a casual tone. The two shook hands and then Daisuke leaned against the wall at his back. He watched Ed for a second before asking, "Who recruited you?"

"Blackburn," Ed replied.

He tried, though not hard, to resist the grumble that came with Blackburn's name, and Daisuke laughed at this. "Blackburn can be a bit brash sometimes, I admit," He commented as he placed his book onto the bed beside him. "I work with Moa in the infirmary so I see him a lot. He's always coming back from a job with some injury."

Ed nodded, sitting onto the edge of the left bed. If he was going to be a part of the dojo, he might as well befriend his roommate. It was the least he could do to fit in around the place after they accepted him. "How long have you been here?" He asked, realizing how familiar Daisuke seemed to sound when it came to Blackburn and Moa.

Daisuke shrugged. "A few years, I believe. I don't remember clearly anymore. My parents moved here from Japan, but I didn't really care for the new location – n-no offense," He stuttered, "It's not the scenery or the people – well some of the people_…_"

Chuckling a bit, Ed eased into a more relaxed position on the bed. "It's fine. I'm not from around here either," He replied, shaking his head.

"Yeah?" Daisuke blinked a few times in curiosity as he glanced to the door. "Kind of sad how the country's own natives aren't even fighting for their safety, anymore," He mumbled, shaking his head as well.

They were in a mutual silence for a few moments, when something came to Ed's mind. He wanted to see Riley, but he knew it wasn't happening anytime soon. Blackburn had this to hold over Ed's head until he decided to help him, and he wasn't sure how long that would take. Looking up toward Daisuke once more, Ed rested his elbows on his head. "Hey_…_ The Maulers_… _Do they have a daughter?" He asked, his voice full of hesitation.

Daisuke looked toward him in confusion, a brow quirking at his roommate's question. For a moment, Ed grew fearful, but then Daisuke nodded. "Yeah_…_ Riley, she's out on a job right now though," He replied, frowning a bit, "Why?"

The breath Ed had been holding for a long time escaped him. How ridiculous. Just hearing about her gave him some comfort. He gave half a grin in response, shaking his head. "No reason, I was just curious. I_…_ Heard some people mention her," He replied. "How long has she been gone?"

Shrugging, Daisuke looked to the door in thought. "About a week, I think. It's understandable, she said she'd be traveling pretty far. She should be back in a few days." Ed was listening intently, and then Daisuke nodded to Ed's new desk, as though just remembering. As he lay back down on the bed to get comfortable for the night, he said, "By the way – you need to fill that folder out and get it to Moa tomorrow morning. She takes care of the paperwork around here. No worries, it's just some basic information."

Ed nodded, though there was little attention paid at that point. He filled out the paperwork, but it was all a blur that he did not focus on. After exhausting himself with Blackburn, he wanted nothing more than to sleep. He couldn't even work up the energy to be excited about Riley returning to the dojo. He had nothing left in his bones that day.

So that night, sleep was even more welcome than usual.

* * *

><p>Be Responsible. <strong>Don't Flame and Drive<strong>! _Rawr_.

I'm sorry about the wait for this chapter, guys. (And the quality and length, to be honest.) Things haven't been so great on this end.

Last month, my mom was on a two week suspension at work on the hearsay of an employee who went to work drunk and accused my mom of things she did not do. We have bills to pay, and that put us back a lot. This week was her first week back to work, and three days ago, another employee told her father my mom called her a whore after she told the employee to "_quit flirting_ with all these boys and get back to work."

She is on an indefinite suspension. We haven't heard from her employers and we believe she has lost her job. I can't work until I have a driver's license and a car, which is not something we can afford with all the bills we have, so I am useless. We have one paycheck to last us until she can find another job and all of said paycheck going to bills.

All of this does not physically stop me from writing, but it has stopped my _desire_ to write. And without that, I can't write well.

I am** not** quitting this story, or any story. I am just letting you all know that this 'slump' in updates will continue for a while. I am positive that after some time, I will jump back into writing and have fun with it and be able to focus on it. I am positive that this stress will help that – I will look to writing as a good thing during this, eventually. But right now, I am not at that stage.

I am sorry about this, and I really hope you don't give up on this story.

- Chaos


	8. Eight

OHMYGODEVERYBODY I'M BACK.

Quick note – thank you guys, so much, for the well wishes and prayers! I was really touched by them; you're all freaking awesome. It cheered me up knowing I had so many people backing me through this.

Quick update – Mom found work! It's seasonal, and there's a big chance it'll advance into something permanent, but it brings us an income while we look for a more permanent solution.

And now with the stress of employment, Halloween, and election day behind me, I can focus on writing again! (_Here's to hoping._)

**The Lovely Daaaarlings!**

**Rei13Reaper:** NinjaPanda! Thanks so much for the support, I'm glad to know you're holding on! And that is actually a very good question. What I can tell you at the moment is yes, both Rileys are going to have many similarities (even if you guys don't realize it _OOH WHAT DOES THAT MEAN MWAHAHAHAHA_.) But you bring up a good point I personally am curious about, and that is – _who the hell are Alfonz's parents_? Ed's counterpart has Hohenheim's counterpart as a father, so who the hell is Alfonz's father? And another thing I personally wonder! Why is Maes' counterpart still just watching Gracia's counterpart from afar? In Amestris, they're already married and have Elysia as a child, so _where the hell is Elysia's counterpart if they haven't married yet_? Plot holes, man. :I

And wow, oh my God, I want to see those pictures! Send them to me, I beg you! That's so touching!

I'm really happy you can relate to Riley. I try hard to make all my characters fleshed out and she was made such a long time ago, that I worry sometimes she isn't as good as my more recent characters in my other writings. And yet she's still my most popular, so that's awesome. Adfghjkl I love it.

**Gummy'Fish'Lover:** I know I've already replied to you through PM, but I'll say it again anyway – thank you so much. I really appreciate the support and the prayers. It really touches me to think there are so many people who care as much as they do about this story. I never thought it would get this far, honestly.

**Siri Catriona:** Hello, Siri, and welcome to the Lovely Daaaarlings section, hah. I definitely did not come out with this chapter sooner than I thought, and I'm really sorry about that. Even after three months, this site still seems kind of dead, so I hope this helps! And _I will read your stories one day,_ I swear it. I understand how you feel looking back and being embarrassed, though. I'm the same way. Look at that as a good thing – it means you've improved since then!

**Smexy pants:** THANK YOU, MY LOVE. Oh, wow, really? Ahahaha, I still feel weird imagining other people thinking so highly of this pairing. Things have definitely gotten better, and thank you!

**StarTrail:** Thank you, for the support and the patience! I honestly think I'll be doing much better at getting this updated from this point on.

**Katsekala:** Really. The economy sucks as it is, and then there are douchebags out there getting people fired intentionally. I don't understand it, but what can we do? It's for the best, I think – she wasn't getting paid as much as men were and it was too late to take that to court, so it's best we just move on and find a better work environment. Ahaha, I promise I will never say I am useless again.

**Inamorata Belle:** Thank you! I'm glad you like it! I am definitely continuing this – there are just some road bumps along the way.

**Rockerchic221:** I will always know you as RockerChic. Can't help it, haha. Hah, yeah, I made sure my torso was hidden as much as possible – unfortunately, crossing my arms just_…_ Pops them out a lot more. (Be very careful what you wish for, big boobs are quite troublesome as well!)

**cocoatd:** Thanks for the words of advice – I really like the sound of that, honestly. I might start using that myself. Your review made my day when I got it, just so you know. Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside!

**ELECTRA13:** Thank you! I'm glad you like the story, and I think things are looking up. More time for this, now!

**Want to Be a Lovely Daaaarling? Review! Bwahaha...**

You know what? Just about everything in this chapter is mine. MINE, YOU HEAR ME? _Okay, except for Resembool and Ed,_ _BUT EVERYTHING ELSE_.

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><p><em>Revelations<em>

Resembool was beautiful. It wasn't something I thought much over before. It looked nice, more rural than my hometown. The sky was always clear, the grass was always healthy, and the weather was always warm.

Sitting on the Rockbell home porch, I realized just how little I realized it before. A light breeze was steady, blowing through my hair and the blades of vibrant grass. And it was peaceful. There was no yelling, or fighting, or leadership roles to be filled. The entire town of Resembool was a home, a place of comfort. Of course, though I wouldn't admit it openly, I may have taken a shining to the countryside for the sole fact that it was Ed's hometown.

The swinging of the front door reached my ears, but I didn't look back. Who else could it have been? Footsteps creaked and thudded along the porch until it reached my side, and a small sigh escaped me. From my place on the steps, I could see the ends of a trench-coat swaying back and forth from the corner of my eye. I could even feel the air shift around his presence. Still though, I couldn't bring myself to look up. It would mean acknowledging him being there, and a part of me was hoping I was just reliving a memory.

"Guess we're here again_…_" There was a small chuckle at the end of his words, nervous and perhaps a bit bitter.

So he was there after all. This was no memory. Resting my elbows on my knees, I kept my eyes on the scenery before me. If I did that, maybe I could get through this. "I think this is real," I murmured, my brows furrowing as I tried to think of the direction I was taking this. I knew his eyes were turned on me, but I still didn't look up. "I can feel it. Not physically_…_ Just a feeling."

Finally, I looked toward him.

He looked down at me with a small frown and narrow eyes. Unlike the last 'meeting', his hair was undone and resting around his shoulders. He looked tired, as if he had gone through trials and obstacles to get there. When I turned my attention to it, I think I felt as tired as he appeared. We were an elderly duo, if I hadn't known any better.

It was his turn to sigh, and his shoulders dropped as he did so. He lowered himself toward the porch and sat down on the steps next to me. He tried to chuckle again, but it once again came out as nothing more than weak and bitter. "I guess I should take that as a good thing," He commented, glancing around at the scenery.

I shook my head. Clasping my hands together in front of me, I turned my attention onto the wriggling of my interlocked fingers. "I take it as more of a scary thing, myself," I admitted, my voice low.

"That would be a first." I glanced toward him to see a subtle smirk. For a moment, I forgot where we were and what had happened. What had separated us. In that quick second, it was as though we'd reverted back to fifteen year old kids hitching a ride to his next clue for the Philosopher's Stone.

There was a small pause, before I rolled my eyes and looked away. "I'd hit you right now if I could. Very hard," I muttered. The chuckle that left him this time was actually genuine.

After a moment, Ed's sight drifted toward the road. He was quiet for a while, looking to debate over what to say – or _how_ to say it. "You know, I_…_ I've been pretty busy on this side of the gate," He started, resting his elbows on his knees as well. Another breeze flew through the air, cooling my face to a dramatic degree. I quirked a brow in his direction, a part of me trying to think up what he was about to say. It seemed bad. "I_…_ Met your parents."

My eyes widened as what breath I had left me. "_What_?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, his brows furrowing in thought. "Everyone on our-_…_ On, your, side of the gate has a counterpart on this side. When people pass away on your side, they_…_ Cross over, for lack of a better word," He paused in his explanation before glancing away from me. As I tried to catch sight of him, he added nervously, "I_…_ I was looking for your counterpart when I met your parents."

I watched him at first, trying to proccess the new information. For all I knew, this could still have been just a dream, just my own way to cope, even if I felt otherwise. But_…_ If it were real, if he was on the other side of the Gate_…_ He was looking for me. A version of me, at least. Maybe it meant he still held on to the hope of seeing each other again.

This only brightened my mood for so long, before I thought back to my parents. How long had it been since I last saw them? Eight years? Maybe a decade? I cleared my throat of its tightening lump, unsure of where to begin. "And they're_…_ How are they?" I asked him, looking away.

He watched me with intense eyes as he answered. "They're fine, I think. Your dad insulted me and I didn't get much of a chance to talk to him after that," He explained, trailing off with a weak smile. Resting his elbows on his knees, he looked out into the distance of Resembool. "Your mom's pretty."

I smiled a little at his words. That was definitely them. Two things I remembered, clear as day, were my father's exterior and my mother's beauty. She was a pretty woman, but her personality was what really shown through. Despite the situation, I couldn't resist a part of the chuckle that escaped me. "I never thought I would hear you call someone pretty," I remarked.

As though realizing what he had said, he grew embarrassed. Ed blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, leaning away from me as he shook his head. "What? Don't make stuff up, I – I had to have said it before_…,_" He groaned out.

I shook my head, my eyes still locked on the horizon. "Never."

He glanced my way before lowering his arm. Turning toward me, he frowned and I noticed a spark of worry in his features. "Really? Aw, man, first time I tell you someone's pretty and it was your _mom –_ W-Wait, how bad is that? Is that bad, would that upset girls?"

Laughter almost burst from me, and I had to clap a hand over my mouth to stop it. I knew Ed was a more nervous boy, but I hadn't realized how bad it was before. He loosened his postured as he watched me, though the concern was still there. Shaking my head once more, I calmed myself before I told him, "It's fine. My mom was very pretty. Still is, I guess."

We fell into a bit of a tense silence for a while as he repositioned himself on the steps. The sun look to be eternally bright out, not having moved since I'd arrived. As I noticed this, I heard more shifting from Ed. "You're_…_ You're pretty, too, you know." I looked toward him with a small jump, but I wasn't surprised until I saw the frown on his face. He looked guilty. Before I could reassure him it really wasn't a big deal, he continued. "I'm sorry I wasn't around to say it when I should have."

It was then that I wanted to kick myself. Maybe him, too. It wasn't just my imagination – Ed felt guilty. Whatever he thought I went through, whatever he may have thought about Al, he blamed himself for all of it, didn't he? Even in the sacrifice of his life, he still burdened himself with more than he should have.

There was only one way I knew how to respond. "…You're so cheesy," I muttered, bringing my knees closer to my chest. He jerked his sight toward me as I dug my face into my lap. "Is this where I'm supposed to swoon over how handsome I think you are and profess undying love?" I asked.

I didn't look up from my burrowing, but I could almost feel his mood lift, and a smirk reach his features. "Well it would probably make me feel better," He mused.

Looking up, I rested my chin on my arms and shot him a dull look. "Try my mother, then, if you think she's so pretty."

His eyes widened, and I could have sworn he almost fell over. "Y-You said you weren't upset about that!" He exclaimed. He was about to continue, but I finally let out a loud laugh. He watched me in confusion, his shoulders beginning to droop as he realized what I was playing at. After a few more moments, he huffed. "Jeez, you haven't changed, Riley."

I glanced back to Resembool as his words hit me, and my smile faded. I don't think I'd really laughed so hard in a long time. Since Ed had left, I remembered feeling pain and the occasional numbness. Maybe everything was coming back together like I hoped it would. "No, I guess I really haven't," I murmured, moreso to myself than to anything.

After a moment of silent contemplation, I sat up and turned. "Say, how_…_," I trailed off with widened eyes. Ed was gone. "Ed?" I whispered, looking around as I stood from the steps. Before panic could set in, I eased up when I realized what had to have been happening. This didn't lessen the disappointment any, though.

I was waking up.

Slowly but surely, my senses began to kick in. I could feel the bed underneath me and see the light in the room bouncing off my eyelids. And I could hear what sounded like some of the most annoying ruckus I'd ever heard. Jonah and Shiori were bickering like children to my right. I couldn't understand their words, but I could feel the tension all the same.

Groaning as I winced, I turned my head away from the source of the light. "Settle down before I put your noses to the wall," I grumbled.

From my left, Daisuke chuckled. It was faint, and led me to believe he was in the other section of the hotel room. "You heard her, you two. Noses to the wall," He warned, his amused voice betraying the actual warning. Just to spite him, I threw a spare pillow in his direction.

"Tell _him_ that, he stole my coin pouch!" Shiori exclaimed. I felt a small breeze from what I assumed was her flailing about.

I let out another groan as I rolled over and dug my face into my pillow, muttering about dream world taking me back. The older brat's scoff was almost loud enough to echo. Or I was just irritated enough to feel it was that way. "Why the hell would I want your coin pouch, kid?! If I was going to steal from you people, it'd be from _her_," He spat out in contempt. I returned the gesture with a middle finger thrown into the air.

Shiori huffed. "I'm _not_ a kid, and I _know_ you stole my pouch! Give it back!"

"This is profiling!" He yelled in return.

Once and for all, I let out a loud yell of exhaustion as I sat up from the bed. The two fell quiet and turned to face me. Shaking my head, I stood from bed and snatched my bag off the floor, marching toward the kitchen. "I'm putting you all in cargo if you don't _shut the hell up_!" I screamed just before I slammed the sliding divider behind me.

It wasn't long after that the two started to argue again, and Daisuke shook his head. "They've been at it all morning. I think it's worse than you and Shiori even," He commented as he sipped his tea.

Sitting down at the table across from him, I scowled. "How annoying," I grumbled, resting my chin on my palm.

Daisuke glanced down at his tea before looking up at me. Leaning back in his chair, he murmured, "I've been talking to him, Jonah. He says he lives here in Tesser Hills. He decided to go to Rush Valley to study engineering, but his father wouldn't support it so he ran away."

I snorted as I lowered my arms onto the table, "Great, so he's a stray _and_ a thief."

"A lot of the students at the dojo are runaways, Riley_… _Some people even consider you to be one," He replied cautiously, furrowing his brows as he waited for my reaction.

There was little of one. "I guess I was, but I didn't resort to stealing afterward. And neither did Gregory's students," I explained in a matter-of-fact sort of tone. Sighing, I stood from the table and headed for the bathroom. "Might-as-well get ready before we have to leave."

. . .

I left the bathroom, rubbing a towel through my damp hair as I kicked the door closed. After that dream_…_ Meeting with Ed, and that morning, a calming shower was something I needed. I tossed my dirty clothes into a side pouch in my bag before I realized that something was off in the hotel room.

No one was there.

Dropping my towel onto the bed, I began to look around. I was headed for the kitchen when I heard a thud followed by scraping against a wall. I turned toward the sound, and was faced with an open window. A rope was flowing out of it, one end tied to the bedpost. Walking over to the window, I peered outside.

Jonah was scaling down the wall.

My brow twitched at the stupidity of it all. Reaching for my bag, I slipped out my pocket knife and looked back out the window. I reached down and with a loud snap, I cut the rope. Jonah screamed as he fell through the air. I climbed out the window, transmuting part of the wall into a staircase before making my way to the ground. Jonah was sitting up and rubbing his new forming bruises just as I arrived, and he looked up to glare at me. "You crazy bitch, you could have killed me!"

I shrugged. "Better men have died for less," I replied simply as I knelt down in front of him. It was then I noticed the bag at his side. It was a bag he had guarded since we met him. Nodding toward it and him, I spoke again. "Any reason you're sneaking out like the hotel's a prison?"

He snatched the bag, hiding it behind his torso before resting an elbow on one of his knees. "I don't need sympathy from you people-"

"What sympathy?" I interrupted, scowling as I stood up, "We're preventing you from stealing, there's a difference." For a moment, he just glared at me. There was a certain look in his eye that I couldn't place. Brows furrowing, I crossed my arms over my chest as I scrutinized him. "What's the real reason you're running off?"

Scrambling to his feet, he tried to tower over me. "I don't know what you're talking about," He snapped, "That guy told you already, I'm going to Rush Valley to be an engineer."

I leaned forward, unfazed by his intimidation tricks. "Why now? You don't strike me as stupid, so why are you running off when you don't have the money to?" He paused at my question, and I knew I had him. There was more to this story than what Daisuke believed. There had to be.

"That's none of your business," He growled, pushing the strap of his bag further up his shoulder.

Shaking my head, I still watched him. He was shifty, growing nervous. "What are you really going to Rush Valley for? You need money to study engineering, which is, again, something you don't have right now."

With a scoff, he stepped around me, yelling, "Y'know what, piss off!"

As he stepped past me, I reached for his bag. I gripped it, pulling it backward. He did not fall, but he stumbled to a rough stop and turned to glare at me further. I returned it with my own. "Daisuke is going out of his way to help your ass, and I'm not going to let that go to waste because you're being childish, so tell me – what the hell are you going to Rush Valley for?"

"Let go," He hissed in response. My grip tightened as I glanced down to his bag. With one burst of energy, I yanked it from his shoulder and out of his hands. He yelled in protest, but I ignored it as I opened the bag.

Inside were several mechanisms – some toys, a few odd looking inventions, but especially auto-mail. They were new, they had been polished, and something about them looked to be done by a very meticulous hand. Looking up toward Jonah, who was even more antsy than before, I lowered the bag and turned so that I stood in between it and him. "I want answers. Now."

Finally, he let it out. In a huff of anger, he yelled, "I'm going to sell that stuff, okay?! I need a ticket out of Amestris, and the only way I could afford it would be to sell my work!"

"You made these?" I questioned, my curiosity about the handiwork overpowering the rest of the situation. He frowned at me, and I shook my head, looking back into the bag. "Alright, why are you trying to leave Amestris? If you're so talented, why not study in Rush Valley like you told Daisuke?"

Rolling his eyes, he began to pace. His escape seemed to have faded from his mind and now, all that was there was irritation. "You're just like my dad! Oh, the boy's good at something, let's send him off and put him to work!" He shouted, throwing his hands into the air before turning to face me once more, "Does it not occur to anybody that that's not what I want to do? I don't want to make auto-mail for people!"

I rose a brow. "Why not? If you're good and you like it-"

"Because that's not all it takes!" He interrupted, his tone almost on the verge of cracking. He looked desperate – like he _needed_ me to understand, before he actually had to say it outright. My eyes narrowed as I watched him. He would have to say whatever his problem was, whether he wanted to or not. We stared each other down for a moment, when he gave in.

With a long, exhausted sigh, he ran a hand through his hair as he looked around. "I don't want that on my head, alright? If you screw up auto-mail, you could screw up someone's limbs. Why the hell would I want that hanging over me every day, the risk that I could mess someone up?! And my dad – he doesn't care about what I want, all he sees is that I'm technically good enough to help people!" Panting from his rant, he shook his head as he muttered, "But that's not all it takes_…_"

Damn it. After a few seconds of quiet, I sighed. I had thought he stole the auto-mail, I had hoped he was just a brat wanting to leave Amestris to get away from his parents. How could I tell him off when he was doing the same thing I was? Resisting a groan at this thought, I closed the bag and tossed it to him. He caught it with ease, eyeing me. "Do whatever you want, I don't care," I muttered as I walked by him, "But you're not stealing from these people to do it. Daisuke said we'd take you to Rush Valley, so we will. No complaining."

He watched me walk by before looking back to his bag. I didn't look back as I headed for the front door to the hotel, but after a moment or two, I heard his footsteps join in with mine.

This was going to be a long trip.

. . .

"So where are we headed, anyway?"

Daisuke looked back to Shiori before sending a glance my way. We were in the back of a carriage, deciding to hitch a ride with some farmers instead of walking to our next destination. "We're going to visit Hannah," He replied, "Then we'll head to Resembool."

Nodding, Shiori sat back and relaxed against the wooden frame of the carriage, watching the scenery go by. "Great! I haven't talked to Hannah in a while," She commented, smirking.

I scoffed at her. "Don't think I don't know what you two talk about when I'm not around," I told her, glancing at her from over my shoulder. My legs dangled off the edge, the wind blowing against them.

Shiori giggled as she crossed her legs over one another. "Who knew you had so many embarrassing stories," She taunted, sticking her tongue out at me.

"I'd be careful if I were you, she's already stuffed you in cargo once before for making smart comments," Daisuke remarked, raising a brow in Shiori's direction as he chuckled in amusement. I grinned, watching as the color left both Jonah and Shiori's face.

Daisuke and Shiori fell into a subtle conversation with the horse and carriage's owner, and I glanced toward Jonah. He sat next to me, on the other side of the carriage, his back pressed against the wooden frame and his bag secured in his lap. With an arm propped atop the frame, he was watching the grass and trees fly by us.

Much to Jonah's surprise, I didn't tell Daisuke the truth about his leaving home when we got back inside the hotel. It wasn't my place. Looking back to the ground below my feet, I gripped the edge at my sides so that I would not fall. I didn't know if we were doing the right thing by helping him leave, but I knew I had no power over it. I was running from the responsibility people placed on me just as much as he was.

Sighing, I glanced back toward him to see his eyes on me, frowning all the while. Upon eye contact, he nodded my way before looking toward Daisuke and Shiori, engaging his attention onto their conversation. I followed suit, turning toward them as well. They were laughing about something, Shiori munching on a an apple Daisuke had bought in Tesser Hills.

They weren't as good a group as Ed and the others, but maybe they would get there in time.

"Oi, Shiori, what the hell?!"

"It slipped out of my hands, honest!" Rubbing the side of my head, I turned away, grumbling.

Nevermind.

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><p>Be Responsible. <strong>Don't Flame and Drive<strong>! _Rawr_.

For updates and previews, check out my writing tumblr (_link found on profile__)_.


	9. Neun

So you know how I said mom got a seasonal job and our problems were behind us cause there was a big chance she'd transition to full-time? Yeah, forget about that. They called, day after Christmas, to let us know they weren't hiring any of the seasonal workers. Back to square one. But! I am going to (try to) remain optimistic and focus more on my writing! We've been in situations worse than this and if we can survive that, we can handle this.

Besides, I can't be upset when it's the fifth year anniversary of The Sulfur Alchemist. TSA is five! _Five_!

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's! Any interesting celebrations?

**The Lovely Daaaarlings!**

**Rei13Reaper:** I've replied in PM, but just to say again; Thank you so much for the awesome review and even more awesome fanart! You have no idea how happy that makes me. It's shocking to see how much other people like this story, so seeing fanart just floors me.

**XXStarburstNinjaXx:** D: _Three updates_? Whoa. Though I'm glad you like it! I have quickly become attached to Jonah, more than I should be. Ahaha, that's awesome – glad you like the characters!

**Katsekala:** They were going somewhat well. It's just a roller-coaster at this point, blech. Thank you, though, I'm glad you like the chapter!

**StarTrail:** Ahaha, patience may be a virtue, but it's also a bitch, yeah? I totally get that you like Riley's more – I have more fun writing hers, so I knew others would most likely prefer her. _Write for yourself and others will enjoy it._ I'll have more fun writing Ed soon, though! Right now I've had to stretch his story out as much as possible so his more important storyline fits parallel to Riley's. x_x A lot of planning ahead for this sequel, I tell ya.

**Gummy'Fish'Lover:** I do that all the time when reading a story. It's really annoying. But that's really awesome that you've read it a few times! That makes me very happy! I'm glad you liked the chapter so much, I had a lot of fun writing it.

**Want to Be a Lovely Daaaarling? Review! Bwahaha...**

I don't own

No, really, that's it, I don't own

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><p><em>Soldier<em>

Morning at the Mauler dojo, Ed came to find out, was a chaotic one.

He woke to the sounds of yelling and mingled conversation, and thudding footsteps in fast succession along the hallway. Daisuke was gone from their room, leaving Ed to his solace while he got ready for the day ahead. This was fine by him. He was still reeling from the night. It had been one of the shortest nights he'd had since he died in Amestris, and he didn't appreciate it. Riley was there, in his dreams, and she was opening up to that fact.

He knew as little as she did, when it came down to it. She very well could have been just a dream, a memory of the girl he traveled with, his own thoughts and desires influencing his mind. That wasn't what he wanted to believe, though. There was a gate, that much was sure, and it was possible for people to cross through it, so maybe it was possible? Maybe it was Riley?

Grabbing his coat, Ed left the room with that state of mind. There was a possibility that it was the actual Riley who was in his dreams, he felt it, he knew it – and so that was what it was. It had to be. Ed shut the door behind him before having to lean into it to avoid the boy barreling down the hall. A sigh escaped his lips and he, once more, wondered what he'd gotten himself into. He watched as people left the hall, when a hand slapped his shoulder. He jumped, turning in surprise.

The boy from the day before, who pulled him off Blackburn, stood there. He was taller than Ed by a few inches, bald and tanned. He was thin, though his lean muscles were obvious along his arms. His eyes were a warm brown, inviting and polite, but the frown on his face and the straight stance counteracted it. "I hear you're our newest member. Ed, right?" He asked.

Ed nodded. "That's me," He replied in a simple tone, neither kind nor rude.

"Jacob," He introduced, "I'm the boys' teacher. You're sharing a room with Daisuke, right? He's this side of the dorm's caretaker. You have any problems, take it up with one of us."

Despite the civility of the statement, Ed could hear the warning it implied. He couldn't blame Jacob for doing so, considering their first meeting was Ed trying to strangle a prominent Rebellion member. That being said, Ed didn't have to like it. "I won't have a problem if Blackburn doesn't," He stated, his expression blank.

"You won't." Jacob's response was swift, eyes intense on Ed. His tone was firm and his grip was tight. Patting Ed's shoulder once more, he walked past him and out of the hall with the others.

Ed followed the few who were still in the hall, and was welcomed into a cafeteria of sorts. Big, rectangular tables were spread out in the room, chairs wherever they could be placed. Ed was surprised, to say the least, by not only the size of the room, but by the amount of people. It wasn't overcrowded, just_…_ Fuller than he expected it to be. He expected an empty room, maybe one or two small groups.

He looked around at them all as he headed to the back of the room where the others were going. Everyone looked happy. Some were in deep conversation with one another, others were joking about trivial things, and a few were playing games – hacky sack, some paper games, arm wrestling, and the like.

Reaching the long table at the end of the room, he noted people grabbing plates and heading off to eat the food already placed atop them. He followed in their action, before hearing his name get called across the room. Daisuke sat a table, motioning Ed over. The latter boy, growing more and more nervous, approached the table and sat down as he was ushered to do so.

"Jacob tells me you've already met," Daisuke says, nodding to the boy who sat at his left. Ed nodded, frowning a little. Daisuke chuckled upon taking note of Ed's attitude. "A bit overwhelmed?" When Ed looked to him in subtle surprise, he nodded in understanding. "People think the Rebellion's a lot smaller than it is."

"As Master Claire wants them to," Jacob commented, rotating an apple around in one of his hands, "She'd have them all think we were the size of a nation if she wanted."

The tense dispute in the hall was forgotten as Ed turned his attention toward Jacob. "So the Maulers, they both run the Rebellion?" He questioned.

Both boys nodded. "Neither of them are more powerful than the other around here," Daisuke replied, "Then there's Gregory, Master Claire's second in command; and Blackburn, Master Mauler's second."

Ed didn't bother holding in the scowl at Blackburn's mention. Jacob didn't appreciate this. "How do you know Blackburn, anyway?" He asked before taking a bite of his apple.

There was a small pause from Ed, before he picked up his own piece of fruit, an orange. "We go back," He growled, peeling at his orange.

Daisuke blinked in recognition. "Oh, it was back when he lived in America, wasn't it? He doesn't tell us much about those days_…_," He muttered, looking toward Jacob as he thought it over.

"He doesn't need to," Jacob shook his head. He placed his apple onto his plate, going for his water bottle as he said, "You leave behind your old life when you join the Rebellion." He sipped his water after the comment, but his eyes were trained on Ed. Another warning.

Footsteps sounded on the floor from behind Ed and the boys looked in that direction. Moa stood there with a folder in her hands. She nodded to Jacob and Daisuke before looking down at Ed. "Here," She said, slipping out a piece of paper which was handed to him, "You're officially a Rebel." Ed took the paper, reading the words along it as Daisuke sent him a congratulatory grin. Moa turned her attention to Jacob.

Ed was reading the paper in his hands, not listening until he heard, "And here's Riley's report." He looked up quickly, as well as Daisuke, as Jacob took the folder from Moa's hands. "She wants the new students working artillery in a week," Moa commented, "Sounds like Ruhr is getting as bad as Kevin thought it would."

Daisuke asked the question Ed couldn't bring himself to ask. "Is she headed back, then?" He looked between Jacob and Moa, unsure of who would be able to answer.

Shaking her head, Moa crossed her arms. "Not yet. She's tying up some loose ends with the Rebels there and then she'll leave," She explained. Glancing to Jacob, she said, "Make sure that gets to Kevin after you look over it." Jacob gave a nod at this, skimming over the folder as Moa walked away and left them to their breakfast.

. . .

The sounds ringing throughout the shooting range were echoing in Ed's head halfway through the preliminary training. Once more, he was surprised by the size of the Rebellion dojo. He sat in a small room, taking apart guns with a few others, while students who'd been there longer were in the adjacent room, using the indoor range. The wall between the rooms was thick and while not soundproof, it muffled the gunshots to a point.

Out of the students in the room, Ed was one of the more experienced there when it came to taking apart and cleaning the gun in his hands. He didn't own one in Amestris, but Riley and Hannah did. It was certain he wasn't as good as Riley with taking apart the gun, but that was one of the few things she prided herself on. She moved with speed and precision in her work, whether it was cleaning her gun or taking apart her camera. Hannah may have been the sharp-shooter, but Riley was the one who could get her way through the ins and outs of weaponry. It became soothing to watch her work with her hands – he was more fascinated with it than he would ever willingly admit.

"Erm_…_"

At the sound of a throat being cleared, Ed looked up, his thoughts interrupted. The woman across from him watched him with big, concerned eyes. She was in her late twenties, by the look of her features. She glanced down to Ed's hands, where he had halted in his work. Looking back up at him, she quirked a brow and cocked her head to the side, asking a silent, 'Are you okay?'

Ed blushed, his eyes going down to his gun as he sped back up. "_Focus, don't get carried away__…_," He told himself.

He became so focused on the task, in fact, that he couldn't resist a small jump upon the feeling of a hand rest on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Jacob frowning down at him. "You didn't hear me calling you?" Jacob questioned, pulling his hand away.

"Huh? Oh, erm, sorry about that. I got carried away," Ed replied. He shook his head and sat straighter at the table, eyes still on Jacob. "What's going on?"

Jacob nodded toward him and motioned to the woman across from him. "You and Elise seem to be familiar enough with guns. You're moving to the range." With an equal stare directed at Elise, Jacob turned and made his way to the door. Ed and Elise glanced at one another. Elise was native, that much he could tell, and she was older than him. She looked like a soldier, and she reminded him of Riza Hawkeye. He smiled a bit at that, standing from the table.

Entering the next room, Ed was engulfed in the atmosphere of a gun range. There was a group of students already there, side-by-side along the counter in their own units, targets lined up on a machine that slid them back and forth across the field. Jacob guided them to the two empty units, where he instructed them along the steps of safety and precaution. Ed was not on the best of terms with Jacob, but he had to give the Dojo teacher credit where it was due – Jacob was good at explaining things, and surprisingly patient with them.

Once everything was in order, Jacob stepped away from them and began to pace up and down the range, watching each student shoot. Ed lined his sights with a stationary target in the back, and shot. _Miss_. He narrowed his eyes, aiming once more.

"How long have you been in Germany?"

Ed looked to his right, attention lost from his target. Elise was aiming her gun, her eyes on her own, but it was clear she asked him a question when she glanced his way. It was a quick glance, as she turned her attention back to shooting. Ed did the same. "Two years," He told her in a dull tone before shooting at his target once more. _Hit._

He could hear a small huff come from her, sounding like a light snort. "Thought so. You look like a native, but you don't have the look _of_ a native," She commented, shooting a target further down the line. _Hit._

Ed's eyes widened a bit, staring at Elise's target, which now contained a bullet hole between its eyes. _Definitely like Hawkeye_, he mused to himself as he aimed at the same target. "So you were born here, then?" He asked. _Miss. Damn it._

Reloading her gun, Elise gave a nod. "And raised." _Hit._

"You sound proud of that," Ed muttered. _Hit_. He grinned, seeing his own bullet hole, six inches below hers.

Chuckling, Elise nodded her head in approval and moved on to moving targets. "I am proud of it," She said with a bold voice, "It's the people fighting for a uniformed nation that need to rethink their so-called patriotism. They're not even following a German!" Wearing a large scowl, she shot twice and missed her target once.

Ed gave a small, sheepish grin. He focused on a target before saying, "To be honest, I don't really know all the details."

He shot his target and then noticed Elise's look of dismay in his direction. "And you're fighting anyway?" She asked, unsure of what to make of the boy. He knew the expression well – should she have been suspicious or annoyed?

A moment passed. Ed didn't know how to answer this. He knew exactly why he was there, but he couldn't come outright and say it was 'for a girl.' He scoffed; that sounded so inaccurate. "My loyalties lie with the Rebellion," He finally answered.

This was an answer Elise seemed to understand. She eyed him with a bit of admiration, lowering her gun as her attention lost itself from the targets. "You're a soldier." Ed was taken back. He looked over at her with wide eyes, and she nodded her head, perhaps in confirmation more to herself than to him. "I know that look. My father had it after the war."

"I'm not a soldier," He refused, shaking his head as he gave a subtle laugh.

Elise would have none of it. Quirking a brow at him, she hummed in skepticism. "Mhm, that's what my father says, too. He also sleeps with a gun under his mattress, and puts a hidden knife in all his walking canes," She stated, turning back to her targets.

Ed said nothing in response to that – it sounded like a good idea to him, but he wouldn't agree with the implication behind it. He wasn't a soldier. "So," He murmured, wanting to change the subject, "What are some of the details about this group we're fighting, anyway?"

With a small sigh as she reloaded her weapon, Elise shook her head. "They think they're protesting for a better world, but I say it's all crock. They want to rid Germany of anyone not like them. Anyone they believe inferior to their race and opinion," She explained with a tone of disgust, shooting a target multiple times. As the sound died down, she lowered her arm and scoffed. "They're pigs, if you ask me."

"I can't imagine they've gotten _that_ popular," He muttered, watching her in her rant.

Elise glanced his way and he could tell by the look how wrong he was. "They're growing in size and reputation. Quickly. Right now a lot of people shrug them off, but that'll be what makes them so powerful. It's why I'm here. The Rebellion doesn't ignore any threat."

There was no time to respond, as Jacob let out a loud whistle and caught the attention of the students. Ed and Elise turned to him and he pointed to the door. "We're done, for now. You have an hour to yourself, and then I want you all in the arena for combat. I suggest you spend the hour resting and getting lunch," He told them before making his way to one of the students to give them side pointers.

Ed turned to Elise and smiled. She returned it with one of her own, nodding toward him. "You're not too bad of a shot, kid," She told him, crossing her arms over her chest. She eyed him a moment, before adding, "Not a soldier, my ass."

He could only laugh in response, not used to such a dominant ascertion. She slapped him on the shoulder as she walked by, grinning to herself as if knowing more than she let on. Ed took no time to debate this, instead making the decision to get as much food in his stomach as possible before meeting Jacob for combat.

Had Riley been there, she most likely would have warned him otherwise.

* * *

><p>Almost done with Ed's filler chapters! One more and I can begin my main storyline for him! I is excite.<p>

Be Responsible. **Don't Flame and Drive**! _Rawr_.


	10. Ten

Hello there.  
>This is long <em>long<em> overdue. And while I have a bit of an explanation on my profile, you guys deserve more than that.

As I said there, mom found work. We have a new car. I took a year for myself to decide what I want to do, and I've made that decision. I've been working on my book ever since I first started: it's gone through three plot changes, two name changes, and one rough draft. I'm getting somewhere with it and I'm proud of that fact.

A lot has gone on in between these things that kept me too distracted to think about this story. I haven't forgotten it, I haven't stopped caring about it, but sometimes you have to drop things or you stretch yourself too thin, and that's what was happening.

That being said, things have gotten in order (as much in order as they can be), and I've decided to take some time and work on this. I don't want to abandon it. I will also be working on the rewrite of the first story, and if you're interested, I _highly_ recommend you read those chapters as they come out. They will have better writing, **new content**, and a lot of the side stories I never got to finish will be wrapped up.

In fact, **the first chapter of The Sulfur Alchemist Rewritten is online.**

I am incredibly sorry to make everyone wait so long. If you're still interested in this even now, I thank you whole-heartedly for coming back and I hope you stick with me to the end of it.

Thank you to everyone who continued to follow this story and add it to their alerts even after the hiatus, and to those who once supported me but have since let it go. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the story between then and now.

I don't own FullMetal Alchemist. Riley is still mine. It's a permanent kind of arrangement.

* * *

><p><em>Mistakes, Old and New<em>

The path leading to Hannah's home was a gravel road, hidden by the trees and shrubbery along the edge of Dublith city. It was a narrow road, one that couldn't fit a car or carriage, and it was a long road - if you had never been there before, you'd think it led to nowhere. So, having never been there before themselves, the others just had to trust me when I told them I knew where I was going. We departed from our hitched ride once we hit the town of Dublith, and made our way to the back road by foot. Daisuke enjoyed himself enough, following the twists and turns of the road, but Shiori and Jonah were losing their minds with every step.

Which was fun for me, really.

Shiori let out a loud sigh as she took long strides down the path. Twigs and leaves crunched underneath her weight, and she was intent on watching them die as she flattened them to the ground. "How much further is it?" She whined from several feet behind me.

I didn't have to look back to see the pout I could hear in her voice. With a shrug of my shoulders, I replied in a simple tone, "About an hour."

"Wha-" The interrupted exclamation was followed by the sound of someone tripping and toppling over into what was likely a pile of leaves and rocks. We all stopped, turning to see Shiori face-down in the dirt. Leaves floated back to the ground on top of her and she picked her head up to stare up at me with wide eyes. "You said it was a ten minute walk the last time I asked!"

I quirked a brow. "Then why ask again?" She stared at me for a moment more, but said nothing. Turning, I continued to walk down the path and Daisuke followed shortly after.

The rustling of Shiori clambering to her feet reached my ears and I glanced back to see Jonah stop at her side, waiting for her to stand.

"She gives you a random number every time you ask. What did you expect this time?" He mumbled, scowling down at her. Shiori brushed herself off, ignoring Jonah's words. She pushed herself forward, storming after us, and Jonah followed suit.

Looking around, Daisuke slipped his hands into the pockets of his jacket. With a quiet tone, he asked, "So you used to live out here?"

I nodded. "Sometimes. When Marcoh was in hiding, I'd stay at Hannah's," I explained to him, thinking back to our childhood. Hannah's family was a kind one, even after all the trouble I got us into. They were a normal family with the three successful children, except when I was around.

Daisuke chuckled. "Still wouldn't come back to the dojo, would you?" He asked me, shaking his head at the thought of it.

My initial response was a shrug. I didn't look his way as I mumbled, "I was just a relic of my parents back then." He frowned, glancing my way.

I could feel his stare on me as he tried to come up with an appropriate thing to say. He opened his mouth a few times, closing it each and every time. With a long sigh, he looked ahead. "You deserved more than that, Riley," He commented, nodding with confidence.

A small snort escaped me, but I tried to hold in the rest of my laughter. He quirked a brow at me but before I could respond, Shiori shoved past us. "Civilization!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, running through an open area in between trees and shrubbery. "Finally!"

Daisuke turned toward me to speak, but once again, we were interrupted. Jonah shoved past us, sending Daisuke to the ground. "I'm starving!" He yelled, a whine in his voice as he ran after Shiori, pushing through the shrubbery.

I held out my hand, grinning down at Daisuke. "Kind of hard to believe he's older than she is."

He watched me for a moment before smirking. He grabbed my hand and I pulled him to his feet, but stopped there to remark, "You're one to talk." Chuckling at my startled reaction, he let go of my hand and proceeded to go through the shrubbery.

"You're going to pay for that one, Kuroda!"

. . .

After two years of being away from her, I had forgotten how tightly Hannah hugged people. As she wrapped her arms around me, squeezed, and rocked back and forth, I wondered if she could rival Armstrong with her grip. "Riley, it's so good to see you! I missed you so much!" She exclaimed, somehow managing to jump up and down as she maintained her grip on me. She pulled away, but held me at arms length, eying my appearance. "And you're getting out, doing some good ole fashioned traveling, I'm so happy for you!"

"I'm not a hermit, I'm just busy," I grumbled, letting her grip my shoulders tight.

She just laughed, wrapping me in another hug. Jonah and Shiori peered around the hall, before Jonah finally asked what was on both of their minds. "Where's the kitchen?"

Hannah blinked, turning to face them. With a smile cracking through her lips, she laughed and pointed down the hall. "On the left, by the front door," She answered.

Jonah and Shiori ran past her with responses of cheers and hungry groans. They slid to a stop, turning and busting into the kitchen. The sounds of metal clanging against itself and rummaging echoed through the hall, but came to a sudden stop. We watched the end of the hall, spotting the two peek their heads out from the doorway to stare us down with wide eyes. "Front... Door?" Jonah whispered.

Grabbing the doorframe, Shiori leaned toward us and glared. "Meaning that was the _back_ door?"

"Yeah," Hannah nodded, and furrowed her brows in confusion. As she rose a hand to her lips, I grabbed my bag and side stepped toward the stairs, inching my way up them as I looked away from the group in the hallway. "Speaking of which, why didn't you just use the main road?"

"RILEY!"

. . .

An hour passed since our arrival at Hannah's, and everyone was relaxing after the journey there. Shiori was going to be in Hannah's younger sister's room, I would be sharing a room with Hannah as I did when I was a child, and Jonah and Daisuke were bunking in Hannah's older brother's room while he was away on business. I didn't have to check on them to know they left their bags packed and by the front door. We weren't staying for very long, and unpacking was only a waste of time.

I sat on the edge of Hannah's bed with the photo from the dojo in my hand. Whenever I had time alone, I found myself looking over it. They seemed so young, Blackburn and my parents. They almost looked... Naïve. Like the troubles of the world and the loss of war hadn't reached them yet. Each of them had smooth skin, bright eyes, fresh expressions. Each of them changed so much, had their own stories behind the wrinkles and dark circles and frowns.

I never knew Blackburn's. It was a disturbing thought, to think he had a normal life before what his life was when it ended. That thought brought back visual flashes of blood, the phantom feeling of a hand around my neck. I shook my head, cringing a bit as I dropped the photo. For a long time, I wanted to kill Blackburn. But in that moment, with what I did.. If my dreams weren't about Ed and Al, it was of that moment. I let out a long sigh as I lowered my head into my hands. I wondered if I looked like my parents did - harrowed and burdened.

"I thought I heard someone up here."

Looking up, I smiled at the man in the doorway, momentarily pushing aside my fears and traumas. "Russell! You're still here?" I asked, standing from the bed.

The blond nodded. With a grin, he turned to allow space between the doorway and him. "Let's catch up," He invited, nodding to the stairs in the hallway. I crossed the room, turning off the light as I left with him. We went downstairs, where I found Shiori and Fletcher talking.

Fletcher paused when he saw us, and smiled. "Riley!"

"Hey, Fletcher. How are things?" I asked, waving.

He nodded. "Good," He answered, balling his hands into excited fists. "I'm at the top of my class and everything."

"He's a real genius," Russell mused, glancing down at me, "Even if he does sometimes put his shoes on the wrong foot." Shiori burst into laughter at this, but Russell and I continued out of the house and onto the porch as Fletcher complained about his embarrassing brother. We positioned ourselves by the railing, where we could see the main road leading into Dublith. "I wanted to leave," Russell stated. I looked to him as he slipped his hands into his pockets and smiled. "We were going to. But Fletcher likes it here. There's some stability in his life finally."

"Stability is good." My voice was softer than intended, but neither of us commented on it.

"And Hannah's father lets me work for him down at the shop, so it's not like we're living here for free," Russell added. "Eventually we'll be able to find our own home in the city, but where we're at is good."

I nodded. "I'm glad. No taking anyone's identities anymore?"

He smiled, shaking his head. "No. We're making something out of our own names, now."

Minutes passed in silence, and I could feel him watching me, waiting to speak and searching for the right way to say what was on his mind. We could hear the others moving around inside the house, and the sounds of trees swaying in the wind. Finally, he shifted around and opened his mouth. "How have you been, Riley?"

A harsh chuckle left me. "What do you expect my answer to be?"

Before he could respond, the door behind us flew open, and Shiori and Fletcher ran down the steps of the porch. "Hey, Riley, ref us!" Shiori exclaimed as she threw off her shoes, bouncing into place in the grass.

. . .

"So we're taking him to Rush Valley," Daisuke said, ending his summary of Jonah's presence in our group. He sat on the porch with Hannah and Jonah, in a deep conversation with Hannah. Jonah leaned against the corner of the porch, watching Shiori and Fletcher, who were engaged in an intense spar with one another.

Hannah smiled at Daisuke's retelling. "That sounds like quite the adventure so far."

"Miss the fun?" Daisuke asked her.

There was no hesitation as she shook her head, her hair slipping out of its place. "Not at all," She said, "Knowing Riley, all hell will break loose soon. I don't want to be a part of it when it does."

Daisuke sighed dramatically. "A luxury Rebellion members don't have."

"Well you seem to be taking good care of her," Hannah replied, looking over in my direction.

I scowled and glanced their way. "Do you have to talk abou-" My complaint was cut short but a loud crumbling and a familiar scream, and Russell's cries for his brother. Everyone reacted, jumping to their feet with eyes wide and adrenaline pumping. I looked forward, spotting a growing hole in the ground, and a blur of blond hair falling through it. I ran forward, and from the side of my eye, I spotted Shiori falling to her knees and pushing her hands against a drawn transmutation circle, followed by the sound of the ground shifting. We all ran to the hole, Russell ahead of all of us. We reached the edge and looked down.

The hole was twenty feet deep, at least, and led to a large enclave underneath the ground. Fletcher was laying against a large shelf that had emerged from the ground and broke his fall - Shiori's doing. "That was a cheating move, you brat!" Shiori yelled down into the hole. I scoffed, pressing a hand against her face and pushing her behind me.

"Fletcher!" Russell shouted to the young boy, "Are you okay?!"

I put on my gloves as Fletcher groaned and shouted back, "I-I'm fine! I think I sprained something, though..." I knelt down, clapping and placing my hand against the hard edges of the hole. The shelf Fletcher sat on rumbled before raising up, and Russell leaned down, picking up his brother.

"Come on. Let's get you cleaned up," Hannah said, reaching for the scratches on Fletcher's arm.

"Riley... Is that a bed?" Daisuke asked, peering down into the darkness of the hole. I looked for what he noticed, and spotted the harsh outline of something long and rectangular amidst the shadows. Using my gloves a second time, I converted Shiori's shelf into a spiral staircase.

"Let's see."

We made our way down, but we were soon engulfed in shadows and our sight was cut off from us as soon as we hit the bottom of the hole. "Ugh, can't you make a light or something?" Shiori's voice piped up behind me, alerting me to the fact she'd followed us.

"I blow things up, not light them up," I argued, glancing over my shoulder but not actually seeing her. A faint click echoed in the enclave, and light filled the area, the source coming from Jonah, who stood behind Shiori. He shrugged, and held up his lighter, stepping away from us. It was dim as the distance grew, but it didn't take long for Jonah to find a lantern. The light grew wider and allowed us to see our surroundings.

What Daisuke saw was indeed a bed. The mattress was thin, and the frame looked weak, but it sat near the wall otherwise intact. Across from it was a wooden desk, where the lantern was placed, along with a collection of papers and notes. A basket was on the floor next to the desk, turned over and collecting cobwebs, with a fork and knife laying not far away from it. On another side of the wall was what looked like an archway, but a collapse of rock blocked the path it led to.

"Someone _lived_ down here?" Shiori asked, kicking the side of the mattress. "Why?"

"Because they're crazy," Jonah answered with a dull tone.

"To hide from someone, usually," Daisuke offered. He shook his head and walked to the desk, putting his hands at his hips.

I approached the desk as well, examining the papers on the desk. Several of the notes were written with messy handwriting and hard to read, the pages stained with what looked to be a mix of blood and water. Other pages were printed documents - full of writing and formal jargon - but what stood out was the military's seal at the top of them. I gathered them all together, wiping off the dust.

"More than one someone," I said, looking to Daisuke as I tilted the papers toward him, "These are military documents."

"So they're crazy," Jonah stated.

"What are they about?"

I shook my head, "Too dark to see the writing. We should go inside and check on Fletcher."

"But the documents-"

I interrupted Shiori with a stern voice. "I'll be the one to focus on the documents."

The girl's brows furrowed, matching the new frown on her face. She glared across the room at me, hands clenching. "What, you going to burn them to protect some military secret?"

"I'm going to figure out who the hell was living under my friend's home," I said, stepping toward her. "There is nothing more we can do. Now drop it." She glared a moment longer before visibly scoffing and turning away. She ascended the staircase with nothing more said, and Daisuke sighed from beside me before following after her.

Jonah grabbed the lantern from the table and held it up to look to me. "What if it was a fugitive?" He asked, leaning in toward the light of the lantern. "What if it was one of those human chimeras you hear about? Or serial killers? _Wooo_," He whispered. I glared before blowing out the light in his lantern and eliciting a small yelp from the boy.

. . .

The sun set completely beyond the horizon in Dublith, and Hannah's home fell quiet to match its surroundings. The kids went to bed after supper, Jonah reluctantly falling asleep not much longer after, so I sent the others into another room while I remained sitting in the dining room to look over the documents. Soon enough, I was engulfed in a silent kitchen, and could hear the quiet chatter in the next room.

"So where are you all headed next?" Hannah asked.

I heard Daisuke fumbling through his journal and pulling out his map, which had been drawn across and color coordinated, matching Daisuke's tight-ass tendencies. Flattening it out on the coffee table, he said, "After Resembool, we'll be slowly working our way to the West City, to visit Shiori's family."

"Winry will probably force you to take her along to Rush Valley, you know," Hannah added.

"Yes, I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for a trip with all of them." Daisuke's comment brought chuckles out of the three of them. "Maybe we'll bring Alphonse along for a least some calm companionship."

At this, the room fell quiet. I found myself doing nothing but staring at the documents I'd spread out on the table, waiting with baited breath for someone to say something. "You didn't hear? Alphonse left. He's... Looking for a way to bring Ed back."

If I were standing, I probably would have fallen over. I restrained myself from acting out, knowing I'd wake everyone in the house otherwise. Slowly standing from my chair, I turned and went out the back door, not caring if Hannah and the others saw me.

I didn't know how to feel. I wasn't surprised, but I wanted to be. I knew it was a possibility. I knew Alphonse would think about it, would debate over it. I wondered, briefly, if I could have done anything to convince him to let go if I'd been there, but I knew the truth: He would have only convinced me to help him. That stung just as much as knowing Alphonse was repeating history. I promised to watch over him. I promised to keep him safe. I promised, in no certain terms, to stop him from dwelling and risking his life for the past.

I failed them both, in more ways than one.

By the time Hannah and Daisuke decided to check on me, I was sitting on the porch, my back against the railing. They lowered themselves next to me, looking to each other for guidance. "Don't bother," I stopped them, balling up my fists in my lap, "It was stupid to think he wouldn't make the same mistake twice."

They weren't prepared for the sting in my tone, and visibly jerked. "He still doesn't remember anything. Winry tried to stop him, but...," Hannah trailed off, and I snorted.

"But how can you stop an Elric?" I muttered.

Hannah nodded at this, turning to face the same direction as me and lean against my shoulder. "Last I heard, he went north. If you think there's something you can say... Winry might know where he is exactly."

"Or she might know nothing," I replied, "If he's anything like Ed was."

"Yeah...," Hannah sighed out.

The door to the house opened and we all looked up to see Russell, one of the military documents from the cave in his hand. "Have you read all of these through, Riley?" Judging by his expression, whatever he had to say, it wasn't good, and he didn't know how to beat around the bush about it.

I shook my head, sitting a bit straighter. "Not yet. Why?"

He glanced to the paper before stepping closer and handing it down to me. "They're about Frank Archer." Daisuke and Hannah watched the scene curiously as I took the paper and began skimming over the words. Again, Russell spoke:

"Radley Blackburn worked for him during the Rebellion."

* * *

><p>That's it for now. I hope to give you more, both in this and the rewrite, soon. Again, I apologize for leaving it behind for so long.<p> 


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